


Until you Remember to Relax (the chapter version)

by NathanielzAlexandria



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Adrien Agreste Knows, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Aged-Up Character(s), Akuma Attack, Akuma Possession, Akumatized Main Character(s), Amnesia, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Identity Reveal, Kissing, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Platonic Kissing, Romance, Sexual Tension, Your writer is evil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:02:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 26,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24393958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NathanielzAlexandria/pseuds/NathanielzAlexandria
Summary: "Marinette, do you like anyone?"Her heart went into overdrive at the question as her head spun. She chanced a look at Alya and Nino. They couldn't help her. Adrien might just turn the question on them and then they'll have to find excuses not to answer. They were a couple but hadn't come out to the school yet.So there they sat at one of the benches waiting for school to begin. Marinette wished this was one of those days where she had woken up late because she had stayed up late at night because she was sewing or sketching.After a few more moments of inarticulate articulation, she clamped her mouth shut. She looked straight ahead, trying to avoid eye contact with the green-eyed boy next to her. Why did she agree to sit next to him again? Perhaps a lapse in insanity caused her to believe she was ready for this...888...This is the chapter version.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 219
Kudos: 454





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Adrientte: Comfort Kisses](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16298795) by [CelticWolf55](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelticWolf55/pseuds/CelticWolf55). 



She was stuttering. Every other phrase was garbled nonsense. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered why she couldn't speak to him normally. She was 14 going on 15, for crying out loud! She had already realised that the possibility of moving past friendship was trepid at best so now she was aiming for just being a close friend.

She didn't expect her vernacular problem following her into this endeavour. Maybe it was because she still liked him, but he was her first crush: she would always feel something for him. No matter how much time passed.

She had to give herself credit. Most days it was light stuttering and hesitations. But right now she wasn't functioning well. It had to do with what he asked.

"Marinette, do you like anyone?"

Her heart went into overdrive at the question as her head spun. She chanced a look at Alya and Nino. They couldn't help her. Adrien might just turn the question on them and then they'll have to find excuses not to answer. They were a couple but hadn't come out to the school yet.

So there they sat at one of the benches waiting for school to begin. Marinette wished this was one of those days where she had woken up late because she had stayed up late at night because she was sewing or sketching.

After a few more moments of inarticulate articulation, she clamped her mouth shut. She looked straight ahead, trying to avoid eye contact with the green-eyed boy next to her. Why did she agree to sit next to him again? Perhaps a lapse in insanity caused her to believe she was ready for this.

"Uhm, Adrien, Nino was telling me about his new DJ gig, weren't you? "

Nino looked at her confused before catching on to what she was trying to do. Change the topic.

"Y-Yeah. Alix is throwing a party in 2 weeks and she asked me to Dj."

Luckily for them, Adrien didn't turn the question to them. Instead slowly taking part in the conversation with Alya and Nino

She pulled out a sketchbook, flipped to an empty page and let her pencil do the work. That was the end of the conversation for her. She was too embarrassed to continue speaking. She was riddled with stress at her predicament and sought to sketch the feeling away until the bell signalling the beginning of school tolled. It would give her a chance to escape into class and be lost in her lectures and temporarily forget her worries.

She could scarcely remember how they got to this topic. At first, they were just recounting their weekends. Marinette had spent her time at the movies with Alya and the girls. She arrived late of course, but all she missed were the previews. It was some horror movie that before would have kept her up all night, but after being a superhero for a year and some months, it only scared her a little and she was able to sleep (albeit with the lights on). She also had a run-in with a certain stray cat that she would not bring up to her friends. Nino said he had simply crashed for roughly 36 hours. Went to sleep Friday night, woke up Sunday morning. His mother was worried, but he claimed that it was the best sleep he had in a while. Adrien had his personal trainer come in, he had some photoshoots and was looking at these different studies.

"Nothing too interesting" he had said.

She continued to draw in her sketchbook. Before her eyes, a high collar halter tent dress appeared in graphite. She debated in her mind whether or not to make it a baby doll dress.

Marinette felt eyes on her. Adrien. Against her better judgement, she chanced a look at him. At some point, he fell off from the conversation. Alya and Nino didn't even notice that he was no longer part of the conversation. They were in their own little world. Adrien had instead chosen to look at her, green eyes deep in thought.

She quickly averted her eyes. She wasn't accustomed to such examination.

"Hmm" with an ambiguous sound he came to some conclusion.

"Marinette?" He called, trying to bring her attention on to himself and away from her sketchbook.

Needless to say, it did not work.

Her face stayed glued to the book. Her vocal cords we're closed. All she could do was give a jerky nod to show that she was listening.

He sighed, "I don't know if it's me or something else... But you're always so _tense and nervous._ Especially around me."

She felt worse. He was blaming himself for her social ineptness. Why couldn't she be as confident outside of the mask as she was behind it? It was the only way she could speak to Adrien like a normal person. Who was she kidding? Even with the mask, she word-vomited. Ladybug just had a faster recovery period due to her responsibilities whereas Marinette's was basically non-existent.

Sometimes she wished Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir were the same person. When Chat Noir showed up unannounced at Marinette's attic room, she found it deceptively easy to converse with him. Even do some light teasing and flirting. He was one of her favourite persons in all of Paris (not that she would tell him that). It's why right now we were black and green ribbons in her pigtails. A little Chat appreciation for her favourite hero. He had helped out when a gust of wind blew her designs out the window. He was passing by and was able to find and return them to her in perfect condition yesterday evening. He spent an hour at her place just chatting about nothing and eating her father's pastries before having to leave his "Princess" for the night.

"I've been doing some reading and I think that I've found a way to get you more comfortable around me"

She was curious now. Honestly, she would give anything for the ability to act normal around him. She turned her head to face him.

"Usually I would ask before I do something like this but it would be best to catch you off guard."

Ask before? Catch her off guard? What is he going to-

The feel of lips on hers stopped her thoughts. It was warm and soft and totally unexpected. Her eyes blew wide taking him in at the contact. His eyes were closed. She decided to follow his lead closing her blue eyes. His long fingers held the back of her head as both his thumbs caressed her cheeks as he held her head in place.

She couldn't believe it she was kissing Adrien freaking Agreste. On the lips. It lasted nought but a second, but a second could last a long time. He pulled away and appraised her expression. Her face was hot and most likely sported a dumbstruck expression. Sure it wasn't her first kiss (that belonged to Chat) but she was just kissed by the guy she was trying to get over.

If she looked to the side she would see her best friend and her best friend's boyfriend were staring at her, jaws on the table.

"Studies have shown that kissing helps release a happy cocktail of chemicals in your brain."

He kissed her on the right cheek.

"These chemical include oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin, which can make you feel euphoric and encourage feelings of affection and bonding. It also lowers your cortisol levels."

He kissed her left cheek.

"Meaning it will relieve your stress, reduce your anxiety and boost your self-worth"

He kissed her forehead.

"So what I'm going to do is that from today, I'm going to kiss you every day, "

He kissed her nose

"Every time I see you: when you arrive at school whether it be early like today or when you cut it close and reach to class right when it's about to start. "

His left thumb continued to move back and forth on her cheek. She felt the cold metal of his ring along her jaw close to her left ear by her miraculous.

"Every time you leave the school I'm going to kiss you. When you're down I'm going to do it. When you're nervous it stressed. I'm. going. To. Kiss you., " he punctuated each word of the last sentence with a kiss on the lips.

His voice dropped to a whisper, "I'm going to kiss you until you remember to relax around me, kay?" He gave a firmer kiss to her lips this time, lingering a beat too long in her lips.

She stared at Adrien dumbly. Only one thing passed through her head.

"Aren't we friends?"

"Sure we are. Friends can kiss, Marinette."

He believed friends could kiss?

"I don't see you kissing Nino"

He chuckled.

"I don't think Nino or his girlfriend would appreciate me trying"

That made sense.

"You know?!" Came the in unison voice of the couple. They were sputtering.

"I'm not blind. I see the way you look at one another"

If he wasn't blind, then he was clueless if he never picked up her feelings.

The bell finally rang. It was time for first period. Alya and Nino flew up first, racing their way up the stairs to class. Adrien stayed behind and walked silently next to her.

"When we get to our seats I'm going to kiss you" he informed her plainly. He was so direct with her. She never knew he had this side.

"What would the class think?!" She was suddenly panicked. She was class representative and this could get out of hand.

He leant down and gave a quick kiss.

"I don't care. I'm going to do it every day and they'll grow accustomed to it."

They were almost to the door.

"C-can I kiss you when you need a happy cocktail of chemicals?" She asked looking down.

"Sure. But only when you're ready"

They reached to class and Adrien dropped his books in his seat. He was about to lean down when he was caught off guard. Marinette had lifted to her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek before running off to her seat. The class looked on shocked at the display. Rose was already asking for a girl's meeting at lunch over text.

"Girl, is this really happening?"Alya whispered in her ear.

Marinette's eyes followed Chloé and Sabrina as they entered. Chloé threw herself on to Adrien calling him the pet name she gave him. He didn't kiss her, actually he moved his body away from her as she leaned in for a kissed before coming off completely and going to her seat. Adrien turned and winked at her before turning back to talk to Nino.

"I guess it is" she replied quietly.

It was the start of a beautiful, yet slightly unconventional, relationship .


	2. Dropped In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is not going to go the way you thought

Summer always brought the hottest winds into Paris. At the ground level, people were dying under the Sunday sun's relentless heat and suffocating on the lack of moisture in the air. Marinette was pleased her room was high above the ground, at least the air filtering in from her rooftop balcony above her parents' boulangerie patisserie was cooler. Not by much. But the blue-eyed girl was thankful for the respite. And when the slightly cooler air wasn't enough, she had a cup of ice to suck on.

She was gathering her many designs from over the past 5 years. Every single clothing idea from when she was 13 to now. Which meant sketchbooks upon sketchbooks, folders jam-packed with sketches on napkins and loose pieces of paper some SD cards filled to the brim with her digital ideas.

"Why didn't I go digital earlier?" she bemoaned.

"Because you liked the control of a pencil and paper more, Marinette" Tiki giggled as she flew one of the SD cards in its cases.

It was true. While she could draw digitally and it made more sense to do so, environmentally and cost-effectiveness, but she just preferred the feel of pen and paper in her hands.

She didn't necessarily need for all these designs, but she didn't want to leave anything up to chance. She was starting her internship directly under the one and only Gabriel freaking Agreste after all. At age 18 she had a shot of becoming an actual designer just like her idol.

And it was all thanks to her closest friend and long-time crush, Adrien Agreste, aka her idol's son. Ever since they graduated a year ago and started university, her for fashion and him for business with a minor in fashion, he had been pushing her towards his father for an internship. His father had finally offered it a month prior after seeing some of her work at the University.

And while the was overjoyed by her opportunity to learn fashion under one of the greats, her mind just kept returning to Adrien.

The blond-haired model had been a close friend for the past 4 years. And for the past 4 years, they shared an... unconventional friendship. It was a very intimate platonic relationship. It wasn't a friends-with-benefits sort of situation. It was just light kissing.

Kissing your crush for the past 4 years. Every time she met him, they kissed. Every time she left him, they kissed. Every celebration, they kissed. Every time the other needed a boost, they kissed.

Needless to say, they kissed a lot.

But it was platonic, only platonic. It's not like they had wild make-out sessions. It was always just pecks on the cheeks, or the nose or her favourite: the forehead. Kisses on the lips were plentiful at the beginning to quickly get her accustomed to him and slowed down over the years. Now it was reserved for extended periods of time away from each other and special occasions.

Which meant she was in for a kiss on the lips when he arrived from his shoot. He was going to wait there at the patisserie with her for the Gorilla to pick them both up and drive them to Agreste mansion. He promised.

She sighed.

"What's wrong Marinette?" Tiki asked flying above her face.

She flopped on the bed, the pink cotton of her skirt fanning around her. She forewent the jeans to instead go for a lighter fabric in the stifling heat. Her bare stomach was tickled by the wind.

"It's nothing, Tiki. It's just that Adrian's coming over and..."

Tiki looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

"He just makes it so hard for me to get over him"

"Marinette, you have. Remember Luka? You were together for a while and you really did like him"

"I don't want to think about that"

A knock sounded from above. Tiki dove beneath the pillows before being spotted. Blond hair and green eyes looked down at her upside down.

"Purrincess" he purred.

"Salut, Chaton," she said.

She heaved herself off her bed, flipping one of her long pigtails behind her. She got back to finishing packing.

"What brings you here, Chaton? I thought you had the day off?"

"I did. It's just that..." His words seem to slur before he fully dropped down bodily in her room.

"Chaton?!" She said dropping what she was doing and rushing to his side. That's when she noticed the large amount of blood flowing from his temple down the side of his face. She didn't know how she missed the out of place crimson on his tan face. It was the only outward indicator of something being wrong. She saw the laboured breath fighting to flow through his chest.

"My civilian form was attacked. I think they hit me in the head with a metal bar or something... but they did a number on me." His voice came out with pained measurements

"Why not go home or the hospital?" She cried. She felt the tears prick her eyes, but she blinked it away. She had to be strong, for him. They can't both be put out.

"I promised you I'd be here"

A sharp beeping tore her mind from thinking too hard about his so-called promise. She picked up his right hand and turned it to his ring. A little green circle was all that was left on his black ring.

Crap!

"You're about to turn back! Your identity!"

It seemed that he was in too much pain to keep his transformation

"I promised you I'd be here" he repeated through pained gasps like some type of mantra to keep him somewhat lucid.

What promise? She didn't remember making Chat Noir promise to see her today.

He was still bleeding. She had to stop it. Her eyes flashed towards her cup of ice and then a random scrap of cloth in her room. She didn't need her Lucky charm vision to tell her what you do.

She pressed the ice-cold fabric to his temple. His breath hitched in discomfort. His ring beeped more insistently. She wished that she could talk to Tiki and asked what the heck she was supposed to do in this situation. She didn't want to see him transform. He was delirious with pain and most likely did not understand what he did.

"Everything's going to be fine" she lightly squeezed his hand as if to reassure that fact

He groaned in pain. And then a flash started at his feet carrying up his body. It happened quickly but to her, it seemed as though it happened slowly. Green light gave way to black suede leather oxfords, acid-washed ripped jeans, a white t-shirt lay under a black cardigan pushed up to the elbows and a blue scarf.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she commented on how the clothes were not suited for the weather at hand. To the front of her mind, she only focused on the blue scarf. She didn't need to look up at his face to see who it was: the blue scarf stained with droplets of his blood was all she needed. After all, an artist knows their work.

The name fell unbidden from her lips.

He gave her a lopsided grin that was more of a grimace. "Surprise..."

In his civilian form, the pain seemed to worsen. For the moment she could forget that he revealed his identity to her. Right now, this wasn’t the hero Chat Noir, this was Adrien Agreste, her friend, and she had to get him to the hospital.

She quickly ran to the trapdoor leading to the rest of the house. Luckily, her father was right there by the start of the stairs, digging around in the fridge.

“Papa come quick! Its Adrien! He’s hurt!”

He looked up from the fridge confused and concerned.

“Mari-”

“S’il te plaît, Papa ! ” her breath cracked on the title as she tried to hold back a sob.

That was all the man needed to hear to run up the stairs. His confused took on one of shock as he barrelled his way into her room. He asked no questions. He picked up the boy and rushed down the stairs, past the living room all the way down to the shop where Sabine was waiting on potential customers.

“Sabine call Nathalie”

She took one look at the limp boy in her husband’s arms, and the tears brimming in her daughter’s eyes. She pulled out her phone.

“Nathalie, there’s a situation. How far away are you? Its Adrien, he’s hurt.”

Marinette couldn’t loosen her hold on Adrien’s hand, her thumb playing across the ring unconsciously. The same way Adrien seemed to continue to look at her. He looked so small and fragile held in her father’s hands, the makeshift ice pack was pressed against his head by her father’s chest. Her mother kept speaking but she couldn’t hear what was being said.

How much time passed before Natalie and Gorilla showed up, she didn’t notice. Why would she care about the concept of time when her friend was bleeding and she was seeing other bruises on his skin? It actually was just a few minutes that had passed.

“Put him in the car.” She said to Tom. He hurried out the shop, Marinette gripping his hand followed her father.

“What happened?” Natalie asked with a straight face. Her face betrayed not the anxiety and concern she felt within herself.

“Chat Noir dropped him in my room. He said that Adrien was attacked, and he rescued him.” She lied quickly on her feet. She couldn’t say exactly what happened, he trusted his identity to her, and she wouldn’t betray him.

“He said that Adrien asked to come here” she supplied before Natalie could ask more.

Her father situated him comfortably in the back seat of the limo. He handed her the “ice pack”

“We’ll take care of it from here. Get in, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. We will need you to make a statement”

“Of course,”

She got into the back seat next to Adrien. She reached for his hand once again as the limo started. She lurched forward with the speed they take off with it. She tightened her hand around him. She offered him a weak smile. A harsh turn around a corner had Adrien’s head falling into her lap.

“Be careful!” she shouted at Gorilla.

She looked down at him worriedly. He looked up at her with a woozy smile. With an effort, he raised himself up enough to kiss. It was a longer one that she was used to, and it sucked some of the anxiety out of her. He laid back down looking at her with a smirk reminiscent to her of his Chat alter ego.

“Relax, princess. Everything is going to be okay”

Marinette couldn’t help but laugh softly as she pushed some of his hair away from his face. She pressed the “ice pack” too his temple causing him to groan slightly.

“I thought I was supposed to be the one reassuring you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you didn't expect the story to start like this. Thoughts?


	3. Hospital Musings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now to throw a wrench

She spent the entire night by his side. He was knocked out upon arrival at the hospital. The way he hung lifelessly was a shock to the system she wished to never experience again. The doctors said that he was okay, although he had sustained a predominant head injury and other minor injuries across his body. In other words, he had quite the beating. It was a wonder he made it all the way to her house.

Roger Raincomprix showed up soon after they arrived at the hospital. She had spent the next half an hour answering questions. Most of it was just him asking the same question repetitively in diverse ways. Luckily, her lie held up. It wasn't much of a lie everything was true except the fact that the cat-themed superhero brought the model to her. It was a half-truth, he brought himself.

By the time evening came around that Sunday, it was all across the news and social media. Concern abounded for Paris' favourite model, wondering who could commit such heinous and cowardly acts against one so pure. praise also flooded in for Chat Noir glad that he was able to aid him. In the report it was mentioned that the hero delivered him to Marinette's home. Thus, their lycéen classmates were calling her non-stop for information. She was prepared for the wave. Even if they hadn't mentioned where he was dropped off, all their friends knew that they were obscenely close. She only answered a few calls. Nino and Alya were together at Nino's house so they made a joint call. She answered Chloé's call because although she was a brat, she was still Adrien's oldest friend. Luka called to find out how she was holding up, and she had to admit that it did tug on the heartstrings that still belonged to him even after they had gone their separate ways.

The person that she really wanted to get on to but wasn't answering was Kagami. The champion fencer had been dating her friend for 5 months, and as far as she knew Kagami really loved him. However, she knew something else: Adrien was preparing to break up with her in the coming weeks. She wasn't privy as to the why; Adrien had just told her of his decision and said he will explain it to her in the future. But as they were still together, she had to call her. She had a right to know.

Well she would know if she would pick up her phone. Marinette doubted that she didn’t, it was everywhere. It was enough that Gabriel Agreste was here in this room slumped over in an uncomfortable hospital chair. He had finally succumbed to sleep a while before. He didn’t say much but she didn’t expect him too. Who would have guessed that his son would get injured in a time of Paris where Hawkmoth had suddenly disappeared overnight? But here they were, in this hospital room waiting for Adrien to wake up. It had been 8 hours since he had been admitted to the hospital and they had put him to sleep. It was 6 hours since they were allowed to stay in this room, and it was 5 hours since M. Agreste had spoken to the doctors and Marinette had taken his seat next to Adrien and has been holding his hand.

In his sleep she couldn’t help but look at him. Her hand played with his blond bangs pushing it out of his face as she kept a silent vigil. Tiki had left with the Cat Kwami to go to the miracle box sometime before. He was just as shaken up as his owner and tiki decided that it was best for Plagg to be comforted by the other Kwamis. They were now in her signature pink side bag sleeping. But she stayed up waiting for her friend to wake up. She just wanted to see his green eyes pry open and he’d give her the same sleepy look he always gave her when he wakes up after falling asleep during a cuddle session. How he’d look around confused for a second before his eyes landed on hers and he’d give a small little smile. After he’d hold her tighter to himself as though he was happy in her embrace and he never wanted to leave. And then shed reach up and ruffle his hair and he’d kiss her on the nose. It was routine.

Within this quiet time, she was reconciling herself with whom Adrien was. He was the charming model and closest friend and he was Chat Noir, her partner as Ladybug and her confidant at late nights as Marinette. Now that she knew they were one in the same she couldn’t help but compare them and realise how blatantly similar they were. There were times in the past that Marinette saw the similarities, but she brushed them off as her mind coming to strange conclusions.

“Come on Adrien, wake up” she begged to his unconscious body.

The passage of time was warped within the four sterile walls of the hospital room. The monotonous beep of the heart monitor was her only comfort at this time. The sound never wavered for all those hours, which was both a good thing and a dreadful thing. Then it wavered. It slowed down slightly before speeding back up. Her heart lurched at the sound. Was something wrong? Then he groaned, his eyes were moving rapidly behind his eyelids. His eyes fluttered. He was waking up. She looked on in reverence. His green eyes open with clouds in it. He looked around blearily. His shoulders tensed at the unknown setting before it finally landing on her. Routine.

“Hey,” she said ruffling his hair

He still leaned down to her to plant a quick kiss to her nose even though he was still in pain.

“Careful. I’m going to wake up your father”

She gripped his hand tighter before letting go.

“M. Agreste,” she shook his shoulder to wake him up, “he’s up”

That was all it took to bring the man to his feet. He rushed to his side and Marinette took it as a cue to leave them alone for a while. She needed to alert a doctor to the fact that Adrien had awoken. Luckily, the original doctor who first received Adrien was still there. At the news, they both made their way back to the room.

However, something was wrong.

  1. Agreste’s face was stricken and pale.



“He doesn’t remember the attack” he murmured.

The doctor quirked an eyebrow at the designer, “That’s quite normal after trauma”

“You don’t understand, he doesn’t remember”

“What do you mean?” Marinette asked in apprehension.

“His last memory was from five months ago.”


	4. Its Temporary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is fanfiction land and I make the rules.

After Adrien awoke and subsequently succumbed to sleep, Marinette joined him in the land of dreams. She could not remember for the life of her what she had dreamt only the colours pink and peach.

By morning, the hospital's in-house neurologist came to assess Adrien. She had asked him several questions to determine what he remembered or not. She even questioned Gabriel, Nathalie and Marinette to double-check on any fact to see if there are further holes in his memory passed the five months.

There weren't.

She then checked his ability to make new memories. It wasn't affected either. He had no problems recalling from when he first woke up until now.

"He seems to have a form of transient amnesia due to trauma. He will regain his memories in due time. Nothing to worry about."

The intensity that had coiled its way in the room quickly vanished. He had amnesia but it wasn't irreversible. Fortunately, he would soon be back to his normal self. And maybe he would be able to shed light on what exactly happened to him.

"However, " she paused looking directly at Gabriel, "he would need someone to help him along the way. Help fill in the blanks-"

"Marinette. I want Marinette"

She blushed up to her roots. It was flattering that he wanted her for this task. Actually, it more than just flattered her it went straight to her heart like an arrow and her heart started to beat crazily like an animal fighting for his last breath. That was some graphic imagery, but it was explicit in what she truly felt. Her heart had no right to be beating as hard it does. He said he wanted her. It was an innocent statement and made sense in context next to the ongoing conversation, but that big part of her heart that still loved the model took it seriously out of context. Something she had no right doing because he had a loving girlfriend who wasn't answering her phone or called to check up on him.

"Adrien, wouldn't you rather Nino or Kagami?"

"No, I want Marinette. Only her. No one else."

Why must he say things like that made her feel so fuzzy all over?

“Son, please-”

“Father this is my choice and I have chosen that Marinette be the one to help me through this.” He interrupted his father with a resolute voice that brokered no other deal.

She had never heard him so assertive before on anything, especially to his father. Usually he would cave with little fight. He had started to have more of a voice over the years, but when it came to his father he always deferred to his wishes or went behind his back. Something about him being so assertive did something her she hadn’t felt possible.

“Sir, it would work out finely. You were going to move her into the Manor for her internship after going through her portfolio. You’ll have to start it earlier but with a slight reworking of your schedule it may be possible”

“Merci, Nathalie”

Her hearts soared and plummeted in her chest.

“Je suis désolé but I can’t accept this internship if you’re only doing it for Adrien. I have no problem helping him until he gets his memory back; you don’t need to give me the internship…” she trailed off.

“Nonsense. I had always planned to give you the internship, even without my son’s prodding. I had only asked to see your portfolio as a formality seeing that I am already familiar with your work.”

He jaw dropped. She already had the internship. So, she was working herself up for nothing yesterday pulling out all her works. However there was some good to it, if she had not been gathering her sketches she might have been at the Couffaine’s helping Luka tune his guitars and not in her room when Adrien dropped in. but here was another thought: would Adrien have been attacked and lost his memories?

“I’ll call her parents and notify them of the arrangements,” Nathalie said walking out the room with her phone in her hand.

“If that’s settled then we can have him discharged promptly. Follow me, Monsieur” the neurologist said guiding M. Agreste out of the room.

She was by his side once again when they were alone.

“I feel like shit” he groaned exaggeratedly

She giggled at him, “You slightly look like it”

Her little quip had him laughing with her. They continued to crack a few jokes before Adrien sobered up.

“Mari, what happened to me?”

She pressed her fingers to his lips.

“Not here. When we get home, I’ll tell you everything”

She felt his lips move against her fingers. It was unmistakable, he had kissed her fingers. She gasped at the feeling. She instinctively brought her hand away, but Adrien stopped her with his own. His eyes had this intensity that she had never seen in his green depths before. Then he smirked, his Chat was showing through.

“I’ll hold you to that. And I think id be deserving of a kiss later to.

He let go of her hand right as the nurses came to help him dress to leave. She couldn’t help but cradle the hand to her chest. it tingled all the way to the Agreste Manor.

After situating Adrien in his room and showing her hers (right next to his) they were left alone. M. Agreste believed it would be best for them to have privacy.

She spent the next half hour going over the last 5 months. It wasn’t too detailed. The neurologist had spoken to her before leaving and suggested that she slowly feed him his memories. Give him a summary of what happened during his lost time and whenever he started remembering something to help him through it. Then it finally came to the most important thing to tell him what she couldn’t in the hospital. How he arrived in her room the evening before.

“Adrien, I know you’re Chat Noir. You brought yourself to my room and de-transformed in front of me.”

His face was impassive at her confession. She couldn’t tell what he felt at all. Would he push her away or deny what she saw? He did give away his secret identity after all, albeit in a state of near unconsciousness. She would feel terrible if she had accidentally revealed herself as Ladybug to anyone, though it might not be as bad if it were to him, especially now knowing that he was her long-time partner.

They continued to sit in his grandiose bed in silence. She kept searching for a reaction from him. He slowly unfurled his arms, beckoning her with a nod of his head. She timidly crawled into his lap and embraced him tightly. He leaned down and kissed her on her exposed shoulder where her sweater had slightly slipped. Shivers were sent up and down from the simple contact.

“If there was anyone that would know my secret, I’m glad it’s you.” He whispered into her ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, here's the new chapter. word to the wise, this depiction of transient Amnesia isn't exactly how it works. I tweaked it so it fits my story. i hope you enjoyed this. see you next week.


	5. First Night Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> time to answer some kagami questions

It was evening when she found herself in Adrien's room. She had taken a quick trip with Gorilla back home to gather some things. M. Agreste said that whatever she needed he would provide as long as she stayed in the Manor. She had really appreciated the offer but there were certain things she really needed. Also, it allowed her to transform and get to Alya and Nino to tell them that they needed to take over patrols temporarily.

"You said I had a girlfriend earlier?" He asked. He had the most confused look on his face. Like he himself couldn't believe it.

"Correction. Have." She pulled out her phone and opened her gallery. There were dozens of pictures in her phone of them together.

"Kagami"

He looked even more confused at the mane. He began looking through the photos. Many of the pictures there were the four of them in it: Kagami, Adrien Luka and herself.

"Why are most of the pictures the four of us?"

"Well, we used to go on a lot of group dates, mostly double dates."

Adrian nearly always was the one organizing their double dates, sometimes even triple dates with Alya and Nino. He said that their parents preferred for them not to go out alone and with the group dates there were no guards breathing down their throats.

"Used to? Why did we stop?"

"Can't be a double date if one of us is single." She said simply.

It didn't take long for him to read between the lines.

"Princess, you broke up? Are you okay?"

She waved him off as she sat next to him on the couch. It was an amicable separation on both sides. They truly did love each other, but they loved each other enough to realise that they weren't right for each other. They both needed different things and it was easier for them to remain friends. She was heartbroken immediately after, but there was no love lost between them. They shared experiences with each other were such that no one can take from them and for that, there will always be a place in her heart for the musician.

"I'm okay. It happened over a month ago and were still on good terms."

His eyebrows knitted on his forehead. He pulled her head to rest gently on his shoulder. She caught the whisper of a smile on his face.

"As long as you're happy, princess" he said turning on the television.

Her face became hot at the nickname. She was accustomed to hearing the endearment from his lips, but it was at the time where she thought those lips were different from Adrien's. She had only reconciled the two people as one last night so for him to do something so quintessentially Chat-like without the mask was heady to say the least.

"Your Chat is showing" she nudged him

"Maybe." He nudged back with a playful smile and a wink that awoke dimmable butterflies in her stomach. "Since it’s you, and you know, it doesn't matter"

Since it was her. He irrevocably trusted her with this part of him, however accidental this knowledge came to her. With that she resolved that once his memories had returned, she would do the same.

"What about Kagami, have you heard from her?"

"No, she hasn't been answering any of my calls. I think it might be because she might not know my number"

"Why not just use my phone?"

"I would, if your screen wasn't broken and being fixed right now."

“I’m sure she’ll call soon. For now, let’s just watch the movie.”

She pushed further into his space, bringing the blanket around them both and snuggling against them. He wrapped his arm around her pulling her closer to him. Her hands played along the soft black and pink yarn of the blanket. It was a disaster of a knitting project that Adrien had made for her 18th birthday. He had tried arm knitting for the first time and got a basic guide from a video online. He was so excited to make something for her after all the gifts she made for him. The loops were uneven, and it was made for his king-sized bed, much too large for her small bed, yet in her eyes it was still perfect.

“What are we watching?”

“A movie that would soon become your favourite, Howl’s Moving Castle”

“As in there’s a movie to my favourite book?” she asked excitedly looking up at him.

“Kind of. Its an anime movie and from what I know its… different from the book”

At the end of the just short of 2 hours film, Marinette was tearing up and in love with the movie. It may have been loosely based off her favourite book, but it was unique enough to be its own story that had her hooked. And while she could think on the things, she loved about it, there was something nagging in the back of her mind. Why would Adrien show her the movie? Of course, he knew she loved the book and knew the types of movies she enjoyed, however, the overthinking part of her mind thought differently. It was like there was another motive for him to do so. It was as if there was a message hidden deep in it from him her that she missed.

“What time is it?”

She patted around the blanket for her phone while simultaneously patting her eyes dry with the blanket. By this time, she had moved from his shoulder to lying on his lap. She turned on her phone and realised two things looking at the lock screen. Alya messaged and it was close to midnight.

“Late,” she replied as she opened the message. 

Alya wanted to know when she and Nino could come and see “Nurse Marinette’s patient”. Stifling a giggling she messaged back that her patient would be well enough to see visitors by the end of the week.

“Looks like Alya and Nino would be coming to visit at the end of the week.”

“Really?” he looked really excited as he looked down on her prone form on his lap. His green eyes reminded her of recently polished emeralds at that moment. “I really miss them”

“Tired of me already?” she teased, feigning mock hurt. 

“Never, princess” his tone being slightly too serious, “I have 5 months of my life to catch up on… Do they know about…?”

“Not yet. Do you want me to tell them?” she asked with the chat still open. It was his decision in the end.

“Yeah. They’re our friends. I trust them and they deserve to know that I have amnesia.”

She spent the next few minutes messaging back and forth with Alya standing by Adrien’s bedroom door to leave with Adrien beside her. She didn’t need to message Nino because the couple were together at a late night showing of a horror movie. She told them everything she knew about his condition up to the last thing he remembers.

Marinette asked if Alya had heard anything about Kagami a question met with shock from the latter. Alya asked if she hadn’t been on social media for a while. She hadn’t. she didn’t want to see the flood of messages from people wanting to know his condition for either concerned reasons or exploitative ones. Alya then sent a picture of a post to her that answered some of her questions regarding the fencer.

“Now I know why she hasn’t called,” Adrien quirked and eyebrow up and took the outstretched phone from her.

They had broken up yesterday, the day of his attack. 

“Under normal circumstances I think I would mourn breaking up with my first girlfriend, but as my amnesia takes up the entirety of our time together, I feel nothing.” He stared blankly at the phone a moment more. A smirk built itself on the landscape of his face.

“Guess I’m single” His eyes shifted to a look she was unfamiliar with his hooded eyes. 

“G-guess you are” she stuttered. The butterflies in her stomach going off as he leaned against the door and loomed over her small form.

He leaned down and slotted his lips against hers. It was almost a kiss she was used to from him. Almost. It was longer than what they normally shared and he had even moved his lips against hers once; something he had never done. Her breath hitched in her throat at the unexpected action.

“Night, princess” was breathed over her overly sensitive and stimulated lips. She was very conscious of the hand near her hip opening the door she was leaning on.

“G-good night Adrien” she said exiting the room to go to hers, trying to keep her movements looking normal. 

What was that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did that answer some of the Kagami question? *laughs maniacly*


	6. Time for Visitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be part of the last chapter

Living with Adrien for the last few days we're synonymous with living in the Garden of Eden. Only if Adam was unwittingly both the serpent and the forbidden fruit. Or maybe he wasn't Adam, her internship was. That still left Adrien as the tempted and the object of temptation. If Alya ever heard that comparison she'd say he's just like the consultant on her favourite crime drama that was due for a next season.

Ever since that first night, he let his inner Chat Noire free. Or more likely, he was how he was when they were alone but less restrained and a bit more public. He would constantly tease her to the point that she almost had a permanent rouge on her face. 

And if the teasing didn't do it, then the wave of compliments he set on her. Every little thing she did was met with the highest praise. Even when she wasn't too sure if she deserved it. Like when she baked cookies and he moaned at the taste. He said he couldn't tell the difference between hers and her father's. To her, she could never be as good as her father. When he praised her efforts while she practised Mandarin with him. Even with his amnesia, he was able to continue with his lesson plan due to his extremely meticulous notes. They had only recently started a few months ago and she was excelling quickly, but she would not need the lessons if she had accepted more of her mother's lessons earlier. 

Don't misunderstand, Marinette. She's no longer the deeply insecure girl she once was before the Miraculous, however, there was something in the way he earnestly laved the attention upon her had her feeling tingly all over yet slightly undeserving of it. So she (begrudgingly) accepted it.

But there were the sweet moments. Like when she fell asleep on his bed last night and he carried her to her room. She scolded him for putting such unnecessary strain on his recovering body, but it deeply touched her. And maybe, it was for the best. M. Agreste may have some different ideas of what might have happened when he came to check on Adrien in the morning.

Also, Adrien liked to either sleep completely naked or just in his pyjama pants with nothing underneath.

She felt her face heat and had to stifle a groan as her thoughts started to descend into the gutter.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Alya's voice reeled her out of the murky depths of her mind.

While she loved spending timing with Adrien, she really was happy that there friends were there. A nice distraction for her unknowing tempter.

"I'm just glad you guys are here"

Alya and Nino had arrived around 8 o'clock in the morning. Adrien and herself were now about to have breakfast when they burst into the mansion. It took a little convincing for Nathalie to agree for them to move breakfast to Adrien's room. Everything was set up on the upper level of Adrien's room, on the floor next to his gigantic shelves filled with books and mostly manga and comics. 

That was 2 hours ago.

"Sick of me already, Princess?" He echoed her sentiment from a few nights ago. He wrapped his muscular arm around her small waist bringing her closer to him on the ground. He then took that same arm and draped across her shoulders. 

"You wish." She said rolling her eyes. "Even though your teasing has been out of hand, "

"It is simply retaliation." 

"Retaliation for what, Dude?" Nino asked egging Adrien on.

"She has had me trapped in bed these past few days at her whim, " he sighed dramatically.

"Looks like Nurse Marinette is very hands-on with her patient," Alya said waggIng her eyebrows.

She began struggling within Adrien's hold to create space between them. He wouldn't budge. She could tell the rouge had spread from her cheeks down to her neck. 

She felt as though Adrien knew how it would sound saying that she had him trapped in bed. It was so full with innuendo it was hard to believe that he wasn't teasing her again. She knew for a fact that Alya was teasing her and she couldn't get the image out of her head.

"It's only because you kept tiring yourself out even more when moved from your bed"

She squeaked.

"I meant rest, cause you know he was injured and I'm playing nurse. Not playing nurse of course. I'm just taking care of all his needs but not in that way. I'm -"

She was silenced with a soft kiss to the temple.

"She's just being a very good friend."

At those four words, all the blood that rushed to her face fled the scene. She deflated.

"Yeah, a good... friend"

It was quite a harsh reminder.

Alya looked at her concerned.

"Why don't you show me your room?" 

It was the escape she needed.

She slid out of Adrien's hold and stood up. She plastered a bright smile to her face and made her way to the stairs.

"I bet you to two have a lot to talk about. Alya and I'll just head over to my room."

Adrian had a confused look on his face and looked as though he was prepared to ask her about her sullen temperament. However, Alya took that moment to get up, grab Marinette's hand and usher her down the stairs.

She missed the grip Nino took on Adrien's wrist.

"Yeah, bro, let's talk."

That's all she heard as they walked out of the room. She blankly led her best friend to her room. And flopped on to her giant pink bed. Alya stared in awe at her room. It was big and spacious, with manakin busts and rolls of fabric. There was a big workstation with a computer and a tablet where she could design clothes. A walk-in closet that made her close look sparse and a personal bathroom. There was a video game centre with all her favourite games. It even had an aerial silk rig in her room! 

"Woah, girl. Looks like Gabriel has been planning for you to be here for some time. How did he even know you've been doing aerial silks?"

"I believe that some of these touches have to do with Adrien, but I can't ask. He doesn't remember having anything to do with this."

Alya took a seat next to her and pulled Marinette's head into her lap. She took one ponytail into her hand and started to braid some of the strands.

"Tell me what's going on with you and M. Sunshine, "

"There's nothing going on Als, you know that."

"Are you sure, have you not been experiencing what I was seeing or do I have to get a new pair of glasses?"

"Alya..."

"He was all over you this morning."

"You're exaggerating."

"Oh really. He kept finding some reason to touch you the whole time we were talking."

"He wasn't. That's just how we are together, you know that Als. Even if it looks like he's expressing interest we know he's not."

"Mari, he would go through hell and back for you. You know it's true. Why is it so hard to believe that he might have an interest in you?"

"Because I'm his friend. His good friend; and that's all ill ever be to him."

Her words were met with silence. It was a heavy truth Marinette carried with her. Their affectionate, intimate relationship would never be anything more than platonic. The moment Adrien kissed and said it was platonic her fate was sealed. She hadn't realised that his vow to get her to relax around him would never evolve into what she wanted.

Like having your Eevee become an Espeon when you were hoping for an Umbreon. Both are great, but it's not what you originally wanted.

"And anyway Alya, he just left a loving relationship. Even if he can't remember it, it would be wrong to start anything with him in this state."

Alya scoffed and took out her phone. She fiddled with it for a few seconds before showing it to Marinette. It was a video from about 2 months ago of Alya and Nino at the Bourgeois Hotel Fairytale Ball. They were trying to dance and we're failing hilariously.

"What do you see?"

"You and your boyfriend looking adorable"

She zoomed into the corner of the video Marinette squinted trying to understand what she was seeing. It was a couple wrapped tightly around each other. One with long red hair the other with short black. There was only one person she knew with that red hair, Nathaniel. So by default, the other would be his boyfriend Marc. Then in the video, they pulled away and Marinette realised she was wrong.

It was Kagami.

She opened her mouth to utter her confusion when there was the slam of her door being flung open.

"Dudes come quick. Something's wrong with Adrien."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have two questions for you guys.
> 
> What constitutes as a Mature or Explicit rating in this fandom? I know that it differs between fandoms.
> 
> And how do you feel about Marichat sin?
> 
> Your answers will affect Thursday's update.


	7. A Day with Adrien Agreste

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No sin here kiddos.

Adrien's memory was returning. Whatever Nino and he discussed that day was a trigger for his mind to start confessing its 5 months of secrets to its owner. However, it didn't simply come back to him like an old friend. It slapped him over the head with a mallet-like a jilted lover. The migraines were short-lived at most times and few and far between, but they always left him panting and looking for cuddles and comfort kisses from Marinette.

The first thing he had remembered was Kagami. While Marinette was comforting him after everyone had left, he divulged what he remembered. It wasn't much; it was mostly the little they spent alone talking. Nothing too substantial.

That was 4 days ago.

Adrien was allowed to return to his usual routine 3 days ago. His bruises were healed but were still tender in some places making the cuddling he so coveted hard sometimes. He was more than glad to return to normalcy, but he couldn't be left alone. This meant that Marinette accompanied him whenever he left the manor. His fans may have been confused seeing them glued to the hip if they hadn't already known that Marinette was his _good friend_.

So Marinette woke up early that Wednesday with the knowledge that Adrien had a photoshoot that day. She also had work with M. Arrested in the evening as she did every evening since 2 2 days ago. She meditated while doing yoga on what she had to go through for the day. After half an hour of the more complex poses, she headed to her personal shower to prepare for the day.

She dressed quickly and was making her way out to breakfast. She took her bag to stuff cookies or anything sweet in it for her sleeping Kwami. Ever since she "moved in" Tiki was spending copious amounts of time with her counterpart.

She was out her door for only a millisecond when she realized she forgot her phone. She reentered the room, grabbed her phone on her work table and passed her aerial set up. She paused at it to finger the silk.

She started the hobby when she had just turned 15. Alya was the one who had taken an interest in it originally. She had seen someone do it in a video and wanted to try it. She found a studio and naturally she had to bring Marinette. She said she wanted a partner to flounder around with her.

They attended their first class and ended it very differently. Alya flailed about, fell on her butt several times and somehow tangled herself in the fabric. The usually clumsy Marinette took to it gracefully, like she had spent time at a circus learning the art of aerial. Alya uncharacteristically gave up after the first class and she would have dropped it too had it not been for Adrien. Classes were costly across the board and she hadn't wanted to burden her parents. She remembered explaining this to her friends when they asked if she was going to continue.

Then that night Chat appeared at her balcony to talk as they usually did and offered to take over her expenses. She refused and he insisted, said if it was something that made her happy and feel confident he wouldn't mind spending his surplus of cash on her. He said that if the money was an issue, too consider it early payment for all the pastries he ate and would continue to eat each time he visited.

In hindsight, she should have realized that it was Adrien. He wasn't too happy that she was giving up something that made her feel confident.

"Are you ready for breakfast, Princess?" His bright voice called from the doorway, snapping her out from her reminiscence.

"Good Morning Adrien," she said perkily.

She turned around and saw him quickly close the distance between them. His tall form towered over her. His big hands gripped the silk as an anchor and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, just the way she liked it. He returned the greeting before tugging on the fabric.

"I always wanted to try this. Mind giving me a private demonstration?"

Her mind could not help but high dive into the proverbial gutter when he asked his question. It held a hint of salaciousness that had to be purposeful. It didn't help that the t-shirt he had chosen gripped and stretched taught against his muscle. He forewent the cardigan and scarf and settled for a long-sleeved black t-shirt with white and orange stripes across his muscled chest.

"Sure I'll do you- I mean you'll do me- I"

The cool feel of his lips slightly brought down the temperature of her cheeks. She could feel the small curve of his lips against her skin. He pulled back and said nothing, seeming content to just memorize whatever expression she wore on her face.

"Maybe some other time-" he winked and her breath hitched in her throat- "Let's go"

"What about breakfast?" She called following behind him.

"We'll have brunch after"

"After? Your photoshoot isn't until 10!"

He opened the limousine door for her. Gorilla already in the car waiting for them. He crossed the car and entered on the other side. He had a sheepish look on his face as the car pulled away from the manor.

"Adrien, it's only 8. Where are we going that I have to wait for brunch?"

"I brought snacks and my portable Wintendo with _Ultimate Mecha Strike VI._

She knew what it was; a bribe. Wherever they were going he knew she wouldn't like it.

The ride came to a stop in front of a white building she instantly recognised. She turned her fiery glare to the blond but he had already escaped the secrecy of the vehicle to the public setting of the sidewalk to open the door for her and help her out.

"I need a haircut"

She groaned at the implication and grabbed her bribe.

"You'll pay for this Agreste" she huffed yet still accepted his help out the car.

40 minutes later she had finished most of her snacks and was lounging on a couch. The salon was empty so she was in the waiting room alone. She would have followed him further inside but he insisted that she waited there.

She heard footsteps, and knowing that it was Adrien said, "Took you long enough. I'm almost through Act I in story mode."

"Only? You're losing your touch" she finally looked over the console at him. Her mouth dropped and her fingers went lax around the game. She heard the word "Woah" tumble from her lips.

Gone were the long golden locs that became synonymous with to teen model was. His hair was shorn on all sides and left to its original length on top.

He looked sexy and mature. It really accentuated the fact that he's 19 and no longer a little boy.

He leaned over her on the couch and with his index finger pushed her jaw shut.

"You'll catch bees, "

"Isn't the phrase, 'you'll catch flies'?" She finally found her voice

"Yes, but bees are attracted are only the sweetest things and we wouldn't them to be further tempted"

She squeaked and he laughed. Hauling her to brunch. She filled up on pancakes and buttery croissants. She stayed clear of the yarrow tea and settled for orange juice. Adrien laughed at her choice and followed suit. She was allergic to it, kind of. It was more like a side effect of her powers. Yarrow made her sleepy and disoriented and brought her inhibitions severely low as well as... something else. Adrien knew this from first-hand experience when he brought some of his father's favourite tea within their first year of friendship.

Then after brunch was the photoshoot at the pool. The photographer was surprised to see his new look. He was inspired by the new mature looking Adrien and took longer than usual. That would have been fine if he were wearing more clothes. Instead, she was faced with his six-pack and tightly packed sinewy muscle and a V leading to his trunks. Several times she caught herself tracing the droplets gliding down his body after he came out of the pool.

And maybe it was her hopeful imagination, but she swore he knew. He had to. Why else would he keep his smouldering gaze on her? No matter what pose he did his intense stare was on her. There was a moment where he licked his lips slowly while his eyes seemed to appraise her. She squeaked and dove for a cold bottle of water to calm herself. She was convinced he knew what he was doing because he laughed after

"M. Agreste, I must say I am in love with this new look"

"Merci, I just thought it was time to try something new, " he replied, sliding his emerald eyes to her in a meaningful way as he towelled his hair

Was he trying to say something?

"I am so in love with it that I think we should reshoot last weeks own. Should I call your photography partner?"

He gasped loudly and his eyes blew open with pain. In slow motion, she saw him start to fall to the ground. Her quick reflexes had her by his side to hold him up. His arm around her shoulders, her arms around his waist

"We have to go, uhm he gets bad migraines randomly since the attack. Yeah! He'll call you when he's better."

She shuffled them both to the limousine as fast as possible. His breath came in pants in her ear and was punctuated with pain groans. Luckily, Gorilla already had the door open and the car started.  
She managed to set him in then crawl in behind. He gripped her tightly all the way to the manor. She then helped him to bed and came up beside him to embrace him how he enjoyed it.

"It's okay Adrien. It's only memories. There in the past, you've already lived it." She cooed in her softest voice running her hand through his soft hair.

Her words seem to do just the trick. His body relaxed in her arms and he pulled her closer as if to mould her softness to the hard planes of his body. His lips found purchase on the closest bit of skin he could find.

Her neck.

He kissed her up and down the column of her neck. Each soft and fleeting like the flutter of butterfly wings upon her skin. He worshipped the skin there like the words that came through it was his saviour from memory. Every brush of his lips was a non-verbal thank you. His fingers we're creating searing abstract lines across her back that assisted in sending heat downwards.

"Ms Dupain-Cheng. M. Agreste will be ready for you in 15 minutes." Nathalie's voice came through Adrien's door.

Adrien groaned and released her. He pouted up at her. He made a half-hearted attempt to pull her back.

"Come back to bed"

She swatted at his hands and tried to ignore the double meaning behind his words.

"I'll be back soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys. This is only half the chapter that I had planned and it's almost 2k words and it was at the 3/4 mark to the very descriptive sin. 
> 
> I want to thank you guys for all the comments describing the ratings. I didn't want to over or under step the level for the M rating.
> 
> There may not be a chapter next week. I have my Spanish oral and I will be focusing on that


	8. A Night with Chat Noir

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally, the sin

Soon became several hours later.

It was night when M. Agreste finally released her to her room. The sun had set not too long ago and from the last time she checked, it was after 10. 

She walked to Adrien's room to see if he was still up and if not, give him his good night kiss. He had a way of knowing when he didn't get it and became a pouty mess in the morning, surprising her with more of his brand of platonic affection than he normally did. although she would admit that there were some moments where she purposefully did not do it. Jiggling the door's handle, she found it to be locked. She knocked on it a few times awaiting an answer she knew she might not receive. She looked around the empty hallway before peeking into her purse.

"Tiki, can you sense Plagg in there?"

She hoped that she could. It was Chat's night for patrol after all. Knowing the stubborn cat, now that he has a clean enough bill of health he would quick copy return to his secret life.

"Nope"

"Of course. Merci Tiki. You can head into the room for now. I'm going to make some tea first and join you."

She found herself in the kitchen after her Kwami flew off. The first thing she did was set the water to boil and get her cup. She was planning on staying up a bit and put into practice some of what her mentor had shown her earlier that day before she went to the company with him tomorrow. A nice cup of strong tea would do the trick better than coffee in keeping her awake. Now for a tea-bag.

She was digging through the pantry to find a possible one for her use. The problem was that there were so many to choose from that she wasn't sure which to get. Then to the back, she spied her favourite tea and moved to grab it. But she stopped upon hear and feeling something crushed underfoot. She quickly pulled back and found two rather large teabags on the floor.

"I've already crushed it. Guess I'll have to take it"

She didn't know what tea it was. The label was a word in Mandarin she had yet to know. She just prayed it wasn't a sleepy time tea. She couldn't even tell what it was by looking at it. The contents being so dry the little weight she placed on it thoroughly crushed it.

She walked back to the counter and poured the boiling hot water then placed the tea bag to steep in the cup. It wasn't really a cup, it was a black portable mug with the words 'My Princess' in green on it. It was a gift from Chat a few years back. A symbol that she would always have a special place in his heart as both the hero and the civilian. 

That had crushed her too. Not at first, but in retrospect. A little known fact about Marinette is that when she got over Adrien the next person she had a crush on was in fact not Luka. It was indeed her knight in shining leather. The only person who knew about that was Alya and she was a big fan of her friend being close to a hero of Paris. So when he said those words to her heart soared to the heavens. Yes, she knew they couldn't be together because of his job and the controversy that might follow her if the masses found out but that simple gesture was enough for her at the time. She really thought her feelings we're returned.

Fast forward to just the last week when she found out that Chat Noir was Adrien who was overly affectionate with her but inky platonically. It was quite the slap in the face to realise that when he said that, he meant as a friend. Imagine being friend-zoned by the same person, twice.

She shook herself out of her gloomy thoughts and looked at her tea. The water was turning a nice shade of brown that reminded her of Dandelion Root tea. Maybe that's what it was. She wondered if only one bag, although large, would be enough. Erring on the side of caution she decided to use the other bag she crushed (thankfully with the same label) and dropped it in the water.

She quickly made her way back to her room, locked the door behind her. She looked around for Tiki, finding her asleep in a draw filled with scraps of cloth. then dropped into her work station and began practising.

It was maybe 10, 15 minutes later when her first signs of sleepiness came forth. To combat it, she decided to chug half the contents of the large mug. It had been steeping all this time and was bitter, tasted nothing at all like Dandelion Root and was still rather hot.

The effects were instantaneous. She felt revitalised as the warmth spread through her body. But after a few seconds, she realised the warmth was different. Her skin felt warm and her clothes unbearable. With that thought, she quickly undressed and redressed into her pyjamas. 

It was still too hot.

Next, she flung open one of the large windows. The cool air did little for her burning skin. Her head spun slightly and she reached for her mug to take a small sip, still not associating what she was experiencing with the tea.

She stumbled to her bathroom and fumbled with the tap. She splashed water on her face. It did nothing. She looked up at the mirror and realised several things. She was panting slightly, her pupils were blown wide, her skin flushed and that she knew the taste lingering on her tongue.

Yarrow. The incredibly strong tea was in fact, yarrow. She guessed that she had a few seconds of restraint before the worse side effect happened.

Her last "in control" action was to take her hair out of the suddenly too tight pigtails and force her body to bed. Then her body relaxed.

Chat found her sometime later on the aerial silks practising drops. He vaulted into her open window. 

"Hey, Princess, I've come for my good night kiss."

"You have? You wouldn't need it if you had stayed in bed, like a good kitty." She said as she dismounted. Her hands began to tie the cloth above her head into a loop.

"But this Kitty had patrol."

"Although you were injured?"

"Your knight has to live up to his title, Princess," he said pushing both his hands through the loop and hung over her. Just like she expected.

"My knight..." She grabbed the tail of the silk and rapidly pulled it taught, trapping his wrists and pulling it above his head.

"Has been a naughty kitty."

Chat Noir struggled against it trying to release himself. But Marinette, fully rational or not did little by halves. Only she could unto him.

"And naughty kitties must be punished" her voice took on a lilting quality to it.

"Marinette, I-"

She stepped up to him and glided her hands up his body. One was passing teasingly over his torso while the other cupped his face.

"Stop struggling. You'll rip it and I'll have to get a new one. I'll have to tell your father that a stray naughty kitty couldn't control his claws and destroyed it."

He stopped struggling, panting from the effort.

She stepped back from him smiling. She picked up her tea and took another drink. She was addicted, yarrow was the catnip of ladybugs after all.

Chat Noir eyes the mug and finally understood what was happening.

"Fuck. I'm fucked"

"Nah, you'll enjoy it too much"

He sputtered. She felt him tense as she wrapped her arms around his neck, then her legs around his waist. She sighed into his ear at the contact. She felt him twitch beneath her. Her tongue slipped past her lips to trace the shell of his ear.

"And this is your punishment"

She began nibbling on his ear, across his chin. She hovered over his lips. She inched closer and right before they touched she pulled back. He tried to follow her lips but she pulled back even further laughing.

She ducked down beneath his chin and attacked his neck. It was dissimilar to his earlier actions with her. But her intentions weren't as pure as his. She nipped and sucked on the skin that was available to her. She tugged on the bell seeing more skin for her mouth.

"I wonder if I were to leave a mark here, what would you do? " she mused as she licked a stripe up his delectable throat.

"Marinette, please."

"Do it?"

He grunted a reply.

She climbed off him her mouth still playing on the jut of his clavicle. He moaned as she climbed away. She tugged the zipper lower, past his navel, and traced the path with her tongue.

"Should I go lower?"

"Princess..."

She peeled the suit away from his skin as far as she could. Her hands touched and teased anywhere it found purchase.  
On her knees, she pressed her face to his thigh, right next to his formidable bulge. He exhaled harshly and slightly bucked forward. 

"You know, I always dreamt of doing this." She stroked a finger up and down its length languidly. His breath was laboured, he was flushed and he kept squirming as if to encourage her to do more.

"Sometimes it was with Adrien or Chat or both. Who would have imagined they were the same?" She sighed palming him fully through the leader.

"I wouldn't have to do this if you would just take charge of me, "she kissed the tip after squeezing his bulge slightly.

"I would have preferred to be the one tied up instead, "She murmured before she stared up into his eyes and she licked him through the leather, from tip to stomach.

"S-stop teasing m-me" he stuttered out bucking wildly and struggling against his binds

"Why? The naughty Kitty has been teasing me for almost two weeks without any intention of acting on it and when I do it he can't take it?"

"Marinette, Princess, please let me touch you" he begged.

"I'll think about it." She hummed sliding back up his body. She paused to pay homage to his neck an action he really appreciated. Then she came to his lips.

"Kiss me like you mean it."

And he did. It was a flurry of tongue and lips. Teeth clashed at first before finding a rhythm that suited them. There's tongues twirled and fought for dominance against each other. Usually, she would yield, but she remembered that this was his punishment and continued to fight. She kissed him like it was the last time she would. She poured everything into him. All the frustration, all the love, all the need; she took that as the motivation to continue. 

Stealthy, the hands behind his head took ahold of the fabric. With a gentle pull, she released him and pulled away. She evaded his efforts to pull her back to him. She made it all the way to the bed and settled against the plush pillows, taking the time to place one between her thighs and squeeze it to her. 

"Good night, Chat."

He was at a loss for what had just transpired.

"Princess?"

"Your father is taking me to the company early tomorrow. That means you have to come with. Can't have your father asking why your so tired when as far he knows you were sleeping since afternoon." 

She watched him trudge out her room to the window. He looked back several times hoping that she would change her mind. He made a frustrated sound when he realized she wouldn't change her mind. 

He bit his still kiss swollen lips before he jumped out her window.

"Sweet Dreams, Princess"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess you weren't expecting a new chapter? How's this for sin? I hope I don't cross the line and it lived up to you guy's expectation. But I'm telling you from now, y'all are not getting a next chapter until after the 25th


	9. Alya's Advice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're steadily climbing

The feeling of furious tapping on her face was what woke Marinette up. She groaned and tried to bury herself deeper into the bed. She really didn't want to face the day- or Adrien. Contrary to what one would believe, she wouldn't wake up and have a blissful moment where she did not remember the events of the previous night. No, the moment she gained consciousness she remembered.

"Marinette, what happened? What did you do?"

She flipped over on the bed to try and ignore the tiny god. She was reeling from her bold actions with Adrien.

She felt her eye dragged open, forcing it to focus on the red floating Kwami. There was no reason to pretend to be sleeping anymore. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and made her way to the mug that held all her problems.

"Something stupid, " she finally answered.

She grabbed it and went off to the kitchen to dump its contents. She thoroughly rinsed it. She didn't want any of the taste to be left back in case it was enough to trigger a reaction.

It was early enough for everyone else to be still asleep. So, she didn't have to run back into her room to avoid Adrien. He shouldn't be up, yet.

Back in her room, she decided to forgo her exercise and ran straight to the shower for a nice long bath. She sometimes had her best reasonings while she soaked in water. And after almost an hour of being in the water, she had only one thought.

She needed to call Alya.

With that thought in mind, she quickly got dressed in her expansive closet. She through on a high waisted green swing skirt reaching above her knees and a black sleeveless turtleneck. She sat by her vanity and rolled on her unprofessional black thigh-high socks before calling Alya.

"Girl, this better be good" Alya said groggily as she answered her phone. Marinette could tell her call had woken her up.

"I kind of sort of kissed Chat Noir last night." She said looking away, a blush staining her cheeks.

She looked back at her friend and took in her reaction. Whatever vestiges of sleep Alya still had, was clearly gone at her admission.

"I had a yarrow incident..."

Alya knew fully well what a yarrow incident entailed after a sleepover with a very graphic confession of what happened during it.

"Spill"

"Well, I accidentally made and drank some tea made from it. Then Chat came to check on me while he was on patrol. I somehow tied him up in my aerial silk-"

"You tied him up. The guy with the power to destroy and the extremely sharp claws; you tied him up and he didn't easily break away? You sure this isn't a dream?"

"I might have threatened him"

"Mari!"

"It was the tea!"

She then started to fill her friend in on everything that transpired after restraining him. Details that might have inferred to his identity we're obviously left out, but no detail was spared. After her tell-all, Alya was more than shocked.

"I thought you said you kissed him?"

"I did"

"After you almost sucked his dick!"

She shot Alya a frigid glare through the screen.

"So, you finally took what you want from him. All it took was your strange allergy and opportunity. And from what you said, he sure liked it."

"Huh?"

"Girl, if he really wanted to, he would have broken out."

"But I threatened him"

"Sure." She said rolling her eyes. "Anyway, I think you should do that with Adrien. You know, be direct. Maybe confess"

"You know I can't. Adrien has and will always see me as just his good friend. Nothing I'll say will change that. And if I confess, everything will be weird between us. I can't have that change, Als."

Alya seemed to run it through her head. In the meantime, Marinette re-entered her closet and pulled out her pair of ankle boots. She was walking next to M. Agreste today in his company. She wanted to stand tall next to him.

"Why not have an 'All I Ask' moment with him?"

'All I Ask.' Luka had done a cover of that song for her when they broke up. It actually started to bring attention to his music career. But the song... The moment wasn't as sad as the one in the song for them, but it would carry all the meaning if she were to have a moment like that with Adrien. It would just solidify in her mind that they will always just be friends.

"Finally get him out of your system seeing that you don't want to change the status quo."

Marinette opened her mouth to give off some retort to decline that what she said could ever be a possibility before Alya cut her off.

"think about it. So, I have been doing some digging into our missing ex-girlfriend and I found something."

Alya smoothly changed the topic with practice ease. She most likely knew that she couldn't push Marinette into a decision. At the end of the day, Marinette needed to make her own decisions and live with the consequences. By changing the topic, she was signalling that she would not further press the issue.

"go on."

"It would seem that she has been doing things with Nathaniel since before Adrien. Also-"

A call for Alya was heard in the background. Alya huffed and said a quick goodbye with the promise of calling her back later. With the call hung up, she was left with her thoughts. Could she really have that with Adrien? A moment that would solidify that her years of pining for him, both sides of him, have led to nothing but the platonic relationship they now shared.

Those were thoughts for later. Now she would revel in the affection he freely gave and pretend like the events of the previous night never happened. She strode confidently to her door, threw it open and made her way down the hall to his. She raised her hand to rap against the door when it was opened, Adrien stood there in all his glory: black suede leather oxfords, acid-washed ripped jeans, white t-shirt, and a black jacket with a popped collar. Just peeking out his t, Marinette could make out what like a bruise and her face heated up.

"Marinette." He said. She didn't have time to appreciate the way a blush diffused across his tan cheeks before she was pulled inside his room and pressed against the wall.

His lips were on her, slow and deliberate. She couldn't help but compare it to the heated, needy, frustration filled kissed they shared last night. He slowly but surely coaxed her lips to life against his own. There was a light warm feeling in her chest. Maybe he took her words last night to heart, to take charge of her. Maybe he liked her back.

He pulled away from her but kept his forehead leant against hers. He was panting against her lips. 

"Bonjour, princess" he purred the r on princess.

Marinette nodded fumble. Words were escaping her heavy tongue. 

His eyes roved across her outfit, drinking it in. The uptick of one corner of his mouth showed his liking. One of his hands moved to her hair. He played with the strands, knuckles lightly brushing against her bare shoulder, causing shockwaves through her system.

"I like you with your hair down, but your missing something. Stay there."

He pushed off the wall and disappeared into his closet. He came back a short while later with a silver chain. He turned her around and she swept her hair to the side. He placed the necklace around her neck and she looked down at it. It was flat and circular, and etched into the cold metal was one word.

Princess

"I'm sorry I went out last night. I was just feeling cooped up here and I needed to escape. I got you this yesterday for being there for me and helping me since the accident. You're my good friend if not my closest, in and out of the mask. I shouldn't have worried you."

She was glad her back was still facing him. Tears glittered in her eyes and cracks began to work their way across her heart. The kiss was an apology. That's why it was different. He felt bad about worrying his friend; he didn't return her feelings. Last night was nothing but his body responding to her touch.

She straightened her back and spun on her toes pulling herself from the hands still on her shoulders. She plastered on an award-winning smile that would fool most.

"It's alright. Let's go have breakfast, " she saw the confusion in his eyes. Of course, he wouldn't be fooled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the 26th. My orals were okay. I flubbed it, but I passed. Now I only have written exams.  
> So what's your thoughts on the new chapter? If you don't know All I Ask, it's from Adele either listen to it or look up the lyrics if you want a heads up on what's going to happen in the next two chapters. Or don't and save it for a surprise when it happens.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some answers

Marinette didn't consider herself a petty person. She had her moments, mind you, especially with specific people. Adrien wasn't one of those people that she could be petty with. Some may argue that her actions in the limo we're petty. She saw it, as necessary. His father was in the car after all and she was sandwiched between the two.

So, when he reached for her hand to thread his fingers through hers like he likes to, her deftly moving the said hand to her lap was not being petty for earlier.

So, when he tried to start a conversation with her that would mostly be teasing and compliments, she pressed Nathalie in the front sear about how she organizes her stuff.

And when they arrived at the haute couture fashion house and Adrien got out and offered to help her; she chose to do it herself. Not because she was still feeling prickly about this morning, it was because his father was right there, and she feared that if Adrien were to hold her hand...

Bottom line, she wasn't being petty.

Nathalie escorted them through the building all the way to his office on the top floor. Once their M. Agreste informed them on what they were to there.

"Adrien you will take Marinette down to meet Luciel. Then you will go to fitting to prepare for the upcoming fashion show."

They were then dismissed as he turned to some paperwork. The way down to the designing floor was long and awkward. Silence prevailed in the gilded elevator. She made a concerted effort to look everywhere except at the blond next to her.

Alya's words rang through her head. Was it really time for her to move on? The concept wasn't foreign to her. Obviously, she had done it before. She was blissful with Luka and not once did she think of Adrien like anything but a friend. A nagging part of her said that it had a lot to do with him also being in a relationship around the same time, but that was semantics.

So lost in her world she jumped when Adrien lightly touched her shoulder. That's when she noticed that she noticed that the elevator doors had opened. She shot him a timid smile not saying anything while following him to her destination.

He sort of gave her a tour of the floor with the promise that she’d love it there. The floor was filled with designers and their ideas. The fabric was haphazardly strewn over the place sometimes accompanied by manakin busts at the centre of the floor. _Gabriel,_ the company, had evolved over the years from being just M. Agreste's designs and clothing to absorbing other smaller designers and attaching them to the brand.

There were 10 stations in all lining around the room. Large open spaces with people bustling in and out. It was her dream to be in an environment just like this, but it was hard to take it in with all the gawking. Marinette guessed it was because of the details of their presence.

M. Agreste had been a recluse since his wife died and he preferred to work at home. Then roughly 2 years ago he just left the manor and returned to his office, once a month that is. However, he had already been to the company for the month no one was expecting him to come, especially with his son and his friend. They may be wondering why she was there.

They stopped by a green-haired man talking rapidly with a woman about cloth. He was about the same height as Adrien, meaning he towered over her by almost a foot. He had soulful grey eyes and long blond hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a simple white shirt with a popped-up collar and rolled up sleeves showing off his strong forearms, a suit vest, and tight pants. The hand he was using to point at the paper in the other woman's hand had on a fingerless glove.

"Wouldn't organza work better than georgette for that design?" she said eying his mini skirt design. it was part of a bigger design to accent the top which was a magnificent piece of embroidery and lace that radiated a soft yet punishing sex appeal.

"But organza would be too flowy and would not be able to withstand any heavy hand embroidery that I plan to do."

"Then keep your georgette on top and then do your ruffled layers in organza. You’ll still have that sheer look that you're going for and it won’t need a cancan to hold it up."

He gave her an appreciative look from the corner if his eye while he thought it over. He quickly scribbled something on a paper and handed it off to the lady he was speaking to.

“Adrien, now who is this cutie?”

She blushed at his words, slightly preening by his compliment.

“Lucien, this is my friend Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Marinette, Lucien Anciel, the youngest designer with _Gabriel._ ”

Anciel? Was he somehow related to her friend Marc? They had similar looks except his eyes were silver to Marc’s jade green and his hair wasn’t as messy.

“Just friend? Does that mean this delectable girl is single?” he asked with a sinful smirk, grabbing her chin in his gloved hands. His eyes slid leisurely across her rapidly heated face as if he were slowly drinking her in. that was until Adrien slightly pulled her back with a smile too tight around the edges and eyes without its usual glow. Lucien just chuckled at this.

“Relax Adrien. I’ve just met her, although from what my cousin says, she’s just wonderful, and she’s Gabriel’s little protegee. I don’t want him to think I’m distracting her”

“Protegee? I think you’re confused. I’m just an intern.”

He chuckled at her correction, as if he knew something that she didn’t.

“Adrien you can leave her here with me, we’re just going to have some fun. Right Marinette?”

She nodded enthusiastically, already feeling the room get to her. She tossed a quick reassuring smile Adrien’s direction and he returned a small one to her before heading to the elevator with hesitation.

She spent the next 2 hours with him. Lucien was funny and flirtatious and so easy to get along with. He explained to her that she really wasn’t an intern, at least not in the traditional sense. Interns were usually with the seamstresses and the tailors, the fabric makers or just getting coffees for the designers, not learning haute couture sewing tips and techniques from the master himself. She was even assisting him in creating that skirt design she advised on earlier.

It would have continued like that if it weren’t for the akuma.

Yes, Hawkmoth disappeared roughly 2 years ago. However, akumatizations still occurred. Without Hawkmoth to control them, they were free to do fulfilled their desires without having to first get the Miraculous. This made them more dangerous. 

Today’s akuma was Lie Detector. Lame name, but still powerful. His power was finding liars and bringing them to himself for punishment with the paper in his hand. His target was Lila Rossi who was actually in the Gabrielle building. While everyone was in a panic Marinette snuck out and transformed meeting up with Chat Noir on the roof. Within 20 minutes the battle was done.

“MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!”

As the ladybugs faded away, Ladybug made her way to the man on the ground. He was older than her and scruffy looking.

“Call the police, I deserve it.”

“Hey, you’re overreacting. You can’t help that you were akumatized. You just need to learn to control your negative emotions. Whatever you did that caused you to want to attack Lila is not worth it” she said as she rubbed his back. Chat Noir stared at him with something close to vague recognition.

“It is. And she should go to jail too. After all,” he gave a sarcastic smile, “She’s the one that paid me to attack Adrien Agreste.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Lila did it. Now here's something. I have introduced something in this chapter that affects the next few chapters. There's the dramatic way this could go or the sweet bubble gum way. you're getting to have a say. I prefer the dramatic way, just saying.
> 
> Let me address the akumatization. In this story about 2 years ago Hawkmoth messes up, big time and Adrien's life was in extremely serious danger. He was in so much grief over losing another family member he freaks out and turns all the butterflies into akumas. He goes back to work and never uses nooroo for bad. The akumas end up escaping the manor into Paris and only attaches in extremely strong emotions. LB has to now purify them all before returning to her normal life.


	11. Respecting Adrien's Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is going to break ya'll hearts.

Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine her first day at Gabriel to go like this. Having to fight an Akuma, then having the police arrive to arrest the victim and haul Lila away. Marnette watched the drama unfold from inside Adrien's corner office.

Her transformation into Ladybug timed out before officer Raincomprix and his officers arrived on the scene. She didn't want to leave Chat there with his attacker but he assured her that it was okay and that he could stay until they arrived and relay the information. She wanted to argue but: A: it would reveal that Ladybug somehow knows that Chat Noir was Adrien which could go many ways, and B: she wasn't 19 like Chat Noir and thus couldn't hold her transformation for long after using her Lucky Charm. So she yo-yo-ed away and circled back into the building.

She decided that the best course of action was to wait for him. She had no doubt he'd be shaken up by the ordeal. Meeting up with Lucien as he was heading downstairs, he directed her to where his office was. But not before giving her a teasing knowing grin that inflamed her cheeks.

She pressed her face into the glass and stared below. Nathalie and Gabriel were downstairs speaking with Officer Raincomprix. But Chat was nowhere in sight. She turned her back to the one-sided floor to ceiling window behind his desk and being to amble towards the chaise. As she reached the chaise to sit, she heard a muffled 'thud' that drew her attention back to the window.

"Claws in."

Without his suit on Adrien looked badly shaken up. He reached into his drawer and pulled out a piece of Camembert for the kwami. His movements were mechanical in nature. And through it all, he was humming a song that she was sure she didn't know but seemed oddly familiar nonetheless.

"Kid, relax. You're going to scare Marinette."

He looked at her for the first time since entering into the room. It was like he didn't know that Marinette was there. He seemed unsure of what to say or do. He took a hesitant step forward and stopped

"Chaton" she purred opening her arms to him.

Without missing a beat he rushed into her arms. With little effort, he picked her up and reclined on the chaise with her straddling his lap. Tears were running down his face leaving the skin damp.

"How can I help you, Adrien?" She whispered as she cupped his face.

"C-can I kiss you? Like I kissed you last night?"

" Adrien, I-" she wasn't sure if she could handle a kiss like the one she demanded last night.

"It doesn’t have to mean anything to you. Just let me have this"

She nodded and slowly he moved his head up to hers. His lips brushed hers tentatively before melding with her own. It was slow and languorous, nothing like the heated frenzy she brought him to as he was trapped in her silks. She pulled back slightly as she felt the slow stirring is her heat in her belly. Maybe she should stop. He chased her lips with his and kissed her hard. There was something desperate in the way he moved his lips against hers. It was insistent and pleading; begging her to understand something.

He seemed to understand that the message wasn't understood. Maybe it was the question she still held in her eyes or the way she fidgeted as she stopped herself from writhing wantonly in his lap.

He opened her mouth to say something but stopped. He simply pulled her down into his chest and held her. He absently kissed the top of her head and began humming that song again from earlier.

When she felt that he was ready to talk, she asked him, "What happened, Adrien?"

She listened to him relay everything and nodded like she didn't already know.

"The police said that they had picked up Kagami moments before receiving the call to come here. They had gotten some information that the guy and Kagami had planned my attack. They had put out wanted flyers with his face around Paris."

The door was knocked and then the knocker tried to open it to find it locked.

"I locked it when I got in. Just in case" she whispered as she climbed off him.

"Adrien?" Nathalie called from the other side of the door. Her face was a mask of impassivity.

"Stay there, I'll get it." She said moving towards the door before she tripped over her own feet. She heard Adrien gasp behind her and she hurried to get up, straightened her skirt and opened the door.

"Ms Sancœr. Sorry for the locked door. Adrien got a migraine during the Akuma attack and be asked me to lock the door so I did. Hope we didn't worry you." Marinette said reassuringly.

"Yeah. I got Marinette as soon as the attack started and we've been here. You know how Father is about safety" Adrien cooperated as he came up behind her.

"Hmmm, as long as Adrien is fine. Officer Raincomprix has asked for your presence at the station. Ms Dupain-Cheng will accompany you. Gorilla is waiting for you both downstairs." She said before turning and walking away.

"Wait! What about you and Father?" He asked as he followed the secretary into the hallway.

"Your father has decided that he will be spending the next few days in the penthouse at the office. You two will return to the manor. He trusts that you two are mature enough to be left alone."

Left alone with Adrien for days on end? Her treacherous heart fluttered at the prospect.

"And here's your phone." She said as she handed him the device then walked away.

Adrien wasted no time in dragging Marinette to the elevator and pressing down. Then hurried her into the parking lot. They were stopped before they could get in the car by Lucien helmet in hand.

"Hey, are you guys leaving?"

"Yeah, Luci. We have some important stuff to do."

"Too bad. I would have liked to spend the day with you, maybe take you out to lunch."

"Too bad. See you later Lucien." Adrien said with a tight voice as he opened the car door.

"Au revoir, Lucien" Marinette said sitting in the car. It seemed like Adrien just wanted to get this whole attacker thing sorted out.

Right as Adrien was about to close the door Lucien stopped it and handed her a card with a number on it and his social media handles.

"Text me" he winked before closing the door. She saw him say something to Adrien that caused the blond to stomp off to the other side of the car and dropped himself into the seat. The car took off without question.

Somewhere during the ride, a motorcycle passed them and she knew for a fact it was the young designer.

15 minutes later they arrived at the police station. They were ushered into a small office with the lead detective.

"Vincent La Roux has confessed to attacking you. However, he claims that he was hired by Lila Rossi. He said it was just a few minutes before he attacked he got a voice note from his then-girlfriend in hysterics about how you threatened her-"

"I would never!"

"We understand that. Which is why we checked with Ms Rossi. She claimed to not know him. If I hadn't heard the message I would have believed her. She's a great liar. She faltered when we played the voice note for her. She then tried to say you had threatened to ruin her if she didn't go out with you the day of the attack."

Adrien was gaping at what he heard and was struggling to keep a calm façade. She did the only thing she could do, hold his hand and squeeze it tightly.

"As you know, I had lost six months of memory, but with help from my friends," he chanced a look at Marinette, "I've regained most of them. We had a photoshoot together, you could talk to the photographer. I doubt that I did something like that"

"Lucky for you, we have already spoken to him, and he says that that didn't happen. Actually what he said was that she had been trying to flirt with you and you were rebuffing her efforts. He said she tried to kiss you and pulled away stating you had to meet a friend."

"I would be that friend, sir. And yes, he was supposed to meet me that day."

"Mhmm. We called her out on her lie and she changed her story again. She said Kagami was the instigator. She said that you broke her friend's heart and Kagami wanted revenge. She said she was the one that had anonymously given the information that led to both Kagami and Victor.

"She sounds reasonable and the evidence she gave implicates your ex, but Lila has already lied so much about what has happened it would be remiss to believe her broken-hearted vindictive ex story."

"And she's lying now. Can I speak to her, Kagami?"

The detective nodded, curious, and spoke into the walkie-talkie. Minutes later the champion fencer was brought in and directed to a seat. She sat with her back straight and tall and said nothing. She simply looked at Adrien then Marinette.

"Kagami," Adrien said. Marinette offered a small wave and smile. Originally, she thought that maybe Kagami was behind it, which was why she wasn't answering her phone. It was slightly reinforced with Adrien breaking up with her and the evidence of her with Nathaniel. She knew these things were interconnected. But now with Lila pointing the finger at Kagami, there was no way she could be involved.

"Adrien, Marinette," she said at last.

"There's only one way to prove your innocence."

"I know"

"Are you comfortable with that?"

"I think its time I tell the truth." She faced the detective and squared her shoulders.

"Adrien and I were never dating." She paused to let it sink in.

Marinette couldn't help but have the shock show on her face.

"About six months ago, I approached Adrien for help covering up my real relationship. As my friend, he agreed with little question. The next day I had him sign an NDA and from thenceforth, we paraded as a couple."

"It was mutually beneficial. She continues her relationship without her controlling mother knowing and trying to break it up and I would no longer have women trying to throw themselves at me and... another reason I'd rather not disclose."

"It was to last until either turn 20 or I gain ownership of my family's company."

Which she did. Some weeks prior to the attack the company had been handed over to her. She remembered because that was around the time that Adrien first mentioned wanting to end that relationship.

"Earlier that Sunday, Adrien and myself ended the farce and sent out posts detailing the end of the relationship. If you need more proof I will have my lawyer send over the copy of the contract" Kagami ended.

"In essence, " the detective said gathering his thoughts, "there could not be any 'vindictive heart-broken ex' because there was no relationship. And you attacking him would not favour your shared agreement. But I must ask, If you will allow it, what exactly is this relationship that you were forced to conceal?"

Marinette was wondering the same thing. Why would she need to hide her relationship with Nathaniel in such a way that it looked like both parties were having affairs?

Kagami seemed to think it over before responding.

"I'm only answering seeing that you will eventually see it in the contract, but I am in a Polyamorous relationship with Nathaniel Kutzberg and Marc Anciel. And before you ask, Adrien is not part of it. He practices the boring art of monogamy and cannot deal with sharing."

From there the interview wrapped up. There was nothing more for the detective to ask so he allowed them to leave. Waiting outside of the station were both Nathaniel and Marc who engulfed her in an embrace as soon as she exited. Marinette could see the love they had for each other radiate in that one platonic act and she found herself a bit envious that Kagami found something like that as Marinette entered the limo.

The ride back to the manor had Marinette deep in thought. Adrien cared deeply for his friends. If anyone wanted to question it, what he did for Kagami was proof of that.

Adrian was the first to break the silence.

"By the way, did you wear those cute cat thigh-highs for little old me today?" He teased.

All Marinette could do was turn red in mortification. He saw them!

Pulling her from her mortified thoughts, he continued.

"Thanks. For earlier, and in my office, I mean. I know you were a bit uncomfortable with me today and ..." He trailed off scratching the back of his head.

She reached across to him and pressed her fingers to his lips.

"Don't apologize. I'm the one that should be sorry. I was ashamed about what I did to you last night. There's no excuse for my actions. I should have stuck to a tea I knew or remembered that im allergic to your father's favourite tea. I did and said things I shouldn't and-"

She was stopped at the feel of lips moving against her fingers. she gasped at the contact and looked at him. He encased both her hands in his larger ones and she couldn't help but notice how warm they were.

"It's okay. Next time, take me out to dinner first." He joked, pulling out a laugh from her.

"That reminds me, can I take you out to dinner or maybe the entire day tomorrow. Nathalie says my schedule is free and I was wondering..."

Was this really happening? After all this time?

"Friends could go on dates, right?" He finished.

Friends. She was slightly disappointed, but she didn't show it. Adrien only wanted to be friends. Maybe it was time she officially accepted and respected that his feelings ran no deeper than platonicism for her. And that was okay. He already would go to the moon and back for her. However...

"Why don't we just pretend its not a friend date? Can we act like it's a real one?" She asked, hopeful that he would go for it.

Something like excitement burst in his green eyes as a smirk climbed his face.

"Anything for my princess," he said kissing the backs of her hands that were still held in his warm grip.

It seemed like she was having an 'All I Ask' moment with him after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, so as of today I've started my exams. Thus, updates will be scarce until August. This chapter is late because I had some life stuff happen since the last update. I wasn't in too much of a good mood and it was translating heavily into this chapter and you might still see it. But here's the good thing, two more chapters and we're done.


	12. An Early Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An interlude

Alya had clearly not been expecting her call the previous night, nor did she truly expect Marinette to even think about having an "All I Ask" moment with Adrien, let alone do it. After waiting for her friend to collect her jaw from the floor, she elaborated on the events that led to being 'asked out'. Obviously, Marinette had to omit certain facts and rework others starting from the morning when she went into the room and ending with the ride back to the manor.

There was a myriad of emotions her friend expressed. Especially at the mention of the Akuma attack and their visit to the police station. Alya was clearly a bit irritated that the puzzle she was slowly putting together was now being placed before her on a silver platter.

Talk about anticlimactic. The bespectacled girl had already come to the conclusion that Kagami was in a relationship with both Nathaniel and Marc; what she had been sure about was if either of the boys had known they shared a girl.

Marinette neither confirmed that she was right (it wasn't her business to tell) nor had not bothered to question how her friend came across this information. Over the years, Alya honed her information gathering skills to an almost deadly precision. She may not have been able to find everything on what she searched for, yet it was enough to get a general gist of the situation with scary accuracy. If Hawkmoth hadn't disappeared when he had, there was no doubt in Marinette's mind that the journalist would know exactly who he was.

However, it also meant that she was curious about the contract. She wanted to know exactly what Adrien was getting out of the arrangement that he didn't want to be revealed in front of Marinette. The bluenette brushed that fact off as inconsequential. If he chose not to tell her, she had to accept that. He wasn't beholden to her in any way; she wasn't his girlfriend.

And she would never be.

With those depressing thoughts that she had yet to acclimatise to, the conversation had quickly fizzled out to talking about what she might wear before hanging up.

After that, she had quickly taken a bath and changed into one of her favourite pyjamas: a silky green and black tank top and shorts combo with lime green cat paw prints on the shorts and a quite salacious cat pun embroidered on the top. It was a gift from Chat from last Christmas. Originally, the tank top had no provocative words on it, but after losing a bet to Alya, she was forced to add the words.

But Adrien didn't know about the addition. When he visited her in his hero form, she ensured that if she wore it, she wore it with a jacket, and with his civilian form she just never wore it around him. So, she freaked out when she felt the chill as she walked into Adrien's room and realized that she wasn't wearing anything over it. Luckily, Adrien was still in the bathroom so she quickly stole into his closet and borrowed one of his hoodies and threw it on.

"Adrien, I'm borrowing one of your sweaters, okay?" She said as she left the closet. A piece of paper on the piano drew her attention and she walked towards it. It was incomplete sheet music.

"Which one?" His voice was slightly muffled.

She stepped away from the piano to settle on the couch. She looked down at it, looking at the actual design on it for the first time.

"Damn" she cursed, her luck. Out of all the hoodies.

"What?" He asked, his voice clearer and coming from close behind her

"It's the one with all the weird anime faces." She said irritation thick in her voice.

"Ah, the ahegao one." He said sagely. She could hear the smirk in his voice. "Isn't it a work of art?"

Work of art? She had nearly regretted making the white hoodie for him and directing him to Nathaniel to put any print he wanted on it. How was she to know what he planned to put on it? That was for his last birthday when he turned 19 a few months ago.

She turned to offer a scathing retort, but the words got stuck in her throat. A blush rode high on her cheeks at the sight of him. Her eyes distractedly traced his muscular form that was on display for her.

"What? It's warm in here and it's my room."

It wasn't. It was cold in his room. It nearly always was, although the blond never seemed to notice. He always was quite warm and was not susceptible to the cold like she was. Not even the afternoon sun radiation it's heat and light directly in the room made it any less cold.

He heavily flopped down next to her and drew her closer to his side. He pulled the blanket around them before picking up the popcorn that was already on the table. Taking a good look around she realised that there were several of her favourite movie snacks and drinks and the movie ready to play. How did she not notice before now?

"Hey, I saw some sheet music on the piano-"

"Oh, it's umm... nothing really. Just something I write in my free time when I'm... going through things." He interrupted.

She wanted to ask what exactly he meant by going through things but she got the feeling he didn't want to elaborate it.

"Can I hear it?" She asked full of hope, knowing that he only ever played his self compositions for her and they were always beautiful.

"It's not done as yet," he said quickly followed by the muttering of something like, "hopefully it won't ever be" but Marinette couldn't be too sure. Stealing a peek at him, his green eyes were clouded over with barely hidden pensiveness.

"Okay. So, what are we watching?" She asked, hoping to cheer him up and change the heavy topic.

It worked. His eyes brightened to a shined emerald tone and he grinned down at her.

"I have decided to start our date tonight."

"Oh really?" She said with a raised eyebrow leaning away from him to get a good look at him.

"Yes. I have a lot planned for the both of us and there won't be enough hours in the day to do it and achieve my objective for asking you on this date." He moved to pull her back to his warm, shirtless chest but she evaded his grasp.

"What objective?"

"You'll find out by the end of it. Now, are you ready to attempt to watch 11 hours of your favourite trilogy?"

She gasped, "That's going to take us until..." She counted the time in her head, "around 1 in the morning!" 

"A work of art like Lord of the Rings takes time to fully tell its story. And if we're watching one it's best we watch all. We have the time." 

He reached over to the coffee table with all the snacks and reached for his tablet synced to the room. With a few swipes of his fingers over the device, large curtains she had never before taken notice of, covered the ceiling to roof wall of windows. They rolled than like a forest green waterfall to block out any an all sunlight from entering the room. Then he turned off the lights and turned on the surround sound.

With the room in theatre-like darkness, she wasn't able to avoid Adrien's hands before he pulled her into his warm embrace. His soft lips enveloped hers in a slow caress. Her bones liquified due to his gentle ministrations. It was a shadow of the kiss he gave her in his office, yet she still couldn't decipher it.

The darkness appeared to embolden the cat miraculous fielder. After turning her into jelly, his lips strayed to a sensitive spot behind her ear, then descended as far as he could down her neck before being impeded by his hoodie then back up to her neck.

Marinette bit her lip hard to stifle any of the wanton noises desperate to escape the cage of her lips because of his ministrations. Her heart hammered heavily in her chest and her mind couldn't help but compare it to yesterday in his bed. Unlike then, she couldn't fight down the heat that spread through her body and there was no fear of Natalie or any other adult walking in. She wondered where Adrien would take his kisses next.

A surprising nip to her ear lobe followed by the hot wet feeling of his tongue tracing her ear forced a needy almost whine to escape the confines of her throat. At the sound, she felt his lips curl into a grin before pulling away.

"Ready?" He asked with an innocent lilt to his voice.

"Of course we can. Why wouldn't we? I feel warm. Is all this heat coming from you? Not that you're hot or anything. I mean you are hot, sexy even. Ahhh."

He silenced her with a chaste kiss on the lip.

"Maybe you should take off the hoodie."

She almost considered it before remembering why she wore it: to hide the cat pun.

"You know what, I think I can survive."

He chuckled silently before kissing her on the forehead making her eyes flutter closed. 

"You think you can stay up?" He asked softly.

She didn't trust her voice at that moment and merely nodded before laying on his chest and bringing the misshapen blanket around them.

He pressed play on the tablet and the movie began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umm hi.  
> Don't kill me, but my exams have finished awhile now. But several things have happened. I can no longer use my laptop to write, so this entire chapter has been written on my phone. Also, the break I took for exam totally messed up my flow. There is some good news the next chapter has already been written, but it isn't going up until next week Tuesday which is the actual date. So yeah


	13. All I Ask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> respect peeps feels y'all

She had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of the last movie in the early hours of the morning. Between the late hour, the cosy setting in Adrien's arms or the eventful day they had, Marinette had lost the battle to stay up.

When she awoke, it was to fingers playing in her midnight bangs and a soft caress to her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open and she let out a content sigh. Her dream was still clinging the edges of her consciousness as she stared into his green eyes. There was a soft yet intense look in his eyes that melded well with the gentle smile on his face. Seeing her awake he bent over and placed a kiss to her brow causing her eyes to flutter close momentarily.

"Good morning, princess." There was a husky quality to his voice that sent a shiver down her spine.

She returned the greeting with a shaky voice. A simple look at what she slept on told her several things.

She was still in Adrien's room.

She slept in his bed.

He most likely slept next to her.

That third fact she summarised by just knowing a simple fact about Adrien. He could fall asleep anywhere, except on the couch. The couch, while the perfect length for snuggling when watching a movie, it was a tad too short to comfortably fit his long frame to sleep lying down.

She pinked slightly at the thought of sleeping next to her long time crush. A crush she was going to give up. A crush that she was having a date with for the remainder of the day.

"Wait, right there. I'll be back in a sec." He tore himself from the bed and bounded out of the room.

Alone in the room, she tried to shake off the alluring pull of the dream she had. The cloying images had her feeling warm, and the sweater she wore was making it hard to cool down. Without a thought, she pulled it off her person and threw it at the foot of the large bed.

Seconds later Adrien reentered the room with Gorilla in tow. The former held what she was sure was two glasses of grapefruit juice and a teapot while the latter an enormous tray with a metal covering over it. Carefully he made his way to the other side of the bed and carefully climbed in with a sure grip on the items. Once seated Gorilla placed the tray between them. With a flourish of his hand, Adrien removed the covering and revealed the contents.

"Bon appetite"

Her eyebrows lifted high in surprise. She wasn't expecting this. Not at all.

"Breakfast in bed?" She said incredulously after thanking them both. Gorilla only nodded his head and exited the room.

"Why not start the day like this? Sets the mood for the day, doesn't it?" He said with a secretive grin.

"It does..." She trailed off as she slathered her piece of baguette in butter.

"I thought about making it myself but we both know I'm a disaster at baking. So I had Gorilla pick up the bread and pastries from your parents. I made the tea; don't worry it isn't yarrow."

As they ate, they continued to talk. Well, not talk. There was a lot of teasing and joking, especially from Adrien's side. He seemed to make an extra effort to make her laugh and blush this morning. But he also seemed slightly anxious. She felt it radiate from his person as he helped her off the bed and to her bedroom's door.

"Marinette, " his voice brought her from her thoughts, "I know for a fact those are the pyjamas I gave you for Christmas. But what I can't remember is the top having "I like C.A.Ts, they make me purr" on it. You like _C.A.Ts_?"

She tried to laugh it off and subtly wrap her arms around her body as if her arms could somehow retroactively stop him from seeing the words.

"Yeah, I kinda have to since I had an alley cat regularly invade my space for years." She tried to play it off as it was just innocent words.

"Really? But you have it as an acronym. It makes it looks like you mean Coital Alignment Technique." His smirk was knowing and teasing. She was caught.

She slumped her head in defeat, " I lost a bet with Alya..."

He nodded understanding where she was coming from.

He leaned down to her and his breath ghosted her lips. His eyes were a dark colour as it started intensely into her blues.

"If it's any comfort, I like C.A.Ts too." he pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

He turned around and began walking to his room. Marinette was so stunned by his actions that she almost missed his words.

"Dress like you normally do. And bring your sketchbook."

Right they were going out for there date, to a place he refused to tell her. It would take away from the surprise.

Half an hour later found her dressed as she usually did: a baby pink skirt that stopped mid-thigh, a white long-sleeved crop top sweater with black cuffs and a black peter pan collar that showed off her stomach when she raised her arms, black ballet flats with baby pink thigh high socks with the black bows on the back and the necklace Adrien gave her yesterday.

She met Adrien in his room and was pleased with his reaction to her outfit. His eyes raked her form appreciatively. He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her to him to kiss her hard.

"Come, let's go," he said directing her out the house.

Waiting for them outside the mansion was a sleek black. She recognized it instantly as Adrien's barely used car. If this was here, that meant-

"I gave Gorilla the day off. This way it's only us. Makes it more intimate." He completed the thought for her.

And then it happened. One big fat drop of water fell from the sky unto her cheek with a heavy splat. It was the only forewarning for what was about to happen. As Adrien wiped away the water, dark clouds rolled in and emptied themselves above them. The weather went from clear skies to a freak storm in a matter of seconds and Marinette couldn't help but wonder if this was the work of another version of Stormy Weather.

"Let's get back inside" she pulled on his arm to steer towards the mansion's entrance.

"Go on. There's something in the car I need."

She started at him for a second before retreating inside. Adrien followed her inside a minute later with a blanket and a picnic basket. There was a look of disappointment in his green eyes.

"Well, there goes my plans" he slumped against the nearest wall. He slowly slid down its length until he sat on the cold tiled floor.

He looked up, mouth open with a half-smile as if he were to say something positive; then there was a loud crash. Seconds later, the entire mansion went black.

"Oh, shit" he muttered as he scrubbed a hand down his face.

Marinette looked down at him confused. They lost electricity because of the weather and the generators had more than enough power to last the minuscule time it would take for electricity to return.

The click of the front door's lock drew her attention away from the returning lights. It was then followed by the slamming of windows and the clicking of multiple locks before the generator kicked in.

"What the-" she began to say before Adrien cut her off with an explanation.

It was the security system. His father when he bought the mansion outfitted it as a precaution against paparazzi to keep them from getting in. After his mother disappeared "to find herself" all those years ago, his father had overtime stopped using it. With electricity down, the security system kicked in automatically and wouldn't come down until his father or Natalie reset it. He took out his phone and sent a quick message to his father's assistant.

"Just my luck. The day we're supposed to go on a date, it rains and we get locked in my home." He hung his head.

"It could be worse. Now, tell me, " she elbowed him playfully bringing a small smile to his shadowed features, "If we had been able to leave, what was this date going to be?"

"First, " he said after a while, "We would have gone to Luxembourg Gardens. I was supposed to have a shoot there today so my father had the entire garden closed from the public. Then yesterday happened and he decided to give me some time off. He had already paid for it to be closed and I had asked you on a date so I asked permission for us to still use there. We were going to have the lunch that I made this morning while you were sleeping, play some games as you might get inspired by the scenery. Then we would come home and change and I would take you to the Opera because I remember you said that you liked their costuming. Then we would have had dinner under the stars."

Her traitorous heart melted at his words. For something so last minute he put a lot of thought and effort into it and seemed genuinely distraught that he couldn't give her the day he planned. This really felt like a real date.

"But now we're stuck here and I kind of wished we didn't watch all those movies last night." He laughed.

She wrapped her arms around his side and laid her head on his shoulder. "For what it's worth, you planned a wonderful day. If I hadn't kept us in bed so long, we could have been trapped in the gardens and then go off to my home since here would be locked down. Anyway, if you want, I can count last night as the date or we can have a do-over on a later date."

If she had been watching his face she would have seen his face fall momentarily, and his eyebrows furrow as he tried to think of something. Next thing she knew Adrien jumped up with a determined gleam in his eyes.

"I know what we're going to do today. Go to your room and grab as many cushions and pillows and blankets as you can then meet me in my father's office." He took off running.

She was left on the floor, mildly confused. Shaking her head she headed off to her room, took off her shoes and went about getting the things he asked for.

Sometime later, she stood in the office.

"Adrien, why are we here?" She asked.

"I'm going to take you somewhere special. Just stand right there." He was fiddling with the bookshelf behind the desk. With a triumphant sound, he pulled one out and the floor beneath her feet began to move. His long legs quickly made the short distance and joined her on the quickly descending platform, his arm wrapped around her middle and pulled her close to him.

A few seconds of darkness gave away to an awe-inspiring sight. Apparently, beneath the mansion was an underground garden. Upon seeing her shocked face Adrien began an explanation of its existence.

His mother had a deep love for nature and he created this hideaway for her where she could relax and forget all her stresses.

The elevator dinged open and they entered the botanical wonderland. He guided her to a secluded spot amongst the flowers. If she breathed deeply, she got hints of a cloying, familiar scent along with the air. She wasn't able to put a name to it so she ignored it

It was nearing 1500h by the time they set up and ate. Adrien insisted on making the biggest fort possible for his princess but lacked the experience to act out his vision without Marinette gently guiding his exuberance.

It didn't help either that Adrien just couldn't stop his hands and lips from straying towards her form. A quick kiss to the underside of her jaw, the brush of his fingers along her neck as he brushed one of her pigtails back over her shoulders, his fingers lingering a beat longer on the back of her hand as she handed him a pillow, a lingering kiss to the back of her neck and a light squeeze of her thigh near her knee had her body quickly intuned and hyperaware of his innocent touches. It didn't help that his eyes were intensely gazing into hers anytime he got the chance or the casually sexual undertones of their lunch conversation that he skilfully mixed in had her skin feeling heated, warmth pooling between her thighs that had her clenching tightly for some form of friction.

She was sure he knew what he was doing to her, yet there was a nonchalant air about him that gave her doubts.

Her question was answered when they had finished eating and he reached over and with the pad of his thumb wiped the sauce that was left on the corner of her mouth before sticking said digit in his mouth while keeping smouldering eye contact with her.

That was her breaking point.

Without thought, she scrambled into his lap and straddled him, his hands reflexively found her hips and steadied her wiggling form. She didn't kiss him. She couldn't. The still clear piece of her mind was rife with fear of rejection. Instead, she flicked her lidded blue eyes from his eyes to his lips and back.

"Princess..."

"Please Adrien, " she sighed against his lips.

That was all he needed to hear to crash his lips into hers.

It was like the night before when she kissed him as Chat Noir and nothing like it at all. With his hands free, he was able to place a punishing grip on her hips and force her lower half closer to him. He kissed her hard, almost gaining dominance of their battle of tongues before pulling away and trailing his lips down her neck to her collar bone. His right hand slid up her body to under her shirt, teasing the skin right under her bra. All the while Marinette couldn't help but wantonly moan and writhe in his lap. The feel of his length straining against his jeans, pressed up into her core had her wantonly grinding down on him for some form of relief.

It was too good to continue. M. Agreste had called and Adrien couldn't ignore it. He gave a lingering kiss on her forehead before stepping away to take it with great reluctance.

Even through all that Marinette knew she wasn't getting the full Adrien Agreste. There was still a lot of restraint with his actions. It was like he was unsure of what to do. Maybe he wasn't into her as she was him, or maybe it was purely sexual and he didn't want to confuse her. A small part of her that was steadily growing louder over the course of the day.

Clearly, he must be interested in her. Why else would he ask her on a date so meticulously planned? Why else would he kiss her the way he had the past few days? Why else would he have stayed tied up and responded eagerly to her actions? Why else would he have chosen her to help him regain his memories?

She flew up from the pillows and quickly made her way to where Adrien had run off. 

The answer was simple and it drowned out her pessimism. Adrien Agreste liked her, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. This wouldn't have to be an 'All I Ask' moment, this could be their first date of many more to come. She could finally express her deep-seated feelings for him and-

"Yes father, everything is going to plan." He raked a hand through his blonde locs. She was behind him and couldn't possibly see his facial expressions. "I just- I don't... I don't think I'm going about this the right way. ... I-I think she is beginning to like me. ..." he scoffed "Yes father, she will inherit your company, even if I have to marry her to do so" he laughed slightly. "Goodbye, father."

"So, this is what it is, huh?"

"Mari-"

"This date is over. It's been a nice day, but I think either of us would like a repeat of it." She said flippantly

"It's not -"

"Tell your father forcing marriage on you when you obviously don't want me is not necessary. " She said with a small laugh, giving him a dismissive wave of her hand.

"But-" he looked as though he was scrambling for any words to soothe her. To make his actions hurt less.

"As you said, we're just good friends. We'll only ever be good friends. Nothing else." Her bright smile plastered on her face belied the emotional distraught wrought from his callous actions. "I think we need a break from all this to get back to normal so as soon as the security is reset I'll be staying a few days at home"

He walked up to her and his hand reached out as if to cup her cheek. She evaded his touch and as calmly as possible she turned and walked away. He followed her quick pace to the elevator

"I could never force you to do something like that when you don't want to. I respect your feelings, Adrien." Surprisingly her voice stayed strong as she stepped into the elevator and gave him a dazzling smile as it ascended.

She didn't see him drop to his knees right where she left him.

"Princess, please"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did say Tuesday, didn't I? It was ready for last week Tuesday but there was a delay for editing. I sent this chapter to my friend and after some major back and forth, I decided to cut somethings out. Like them actually going to Luxembourg Gardens and then returning because of the rain and a very smutty Adrinette oral scene that happened right before Gabriel calls. Don't worry you'll get it next chapter. This version of the chapter is about 2k words less than the original. Maybe it's in my head, but in some places it feels kind of awkwardly wrote.
> 
> Also in this version of the story, Emillie is not in the creepy coma container underground. When she started getting sick from the peacock Miraculous she went off on her own to find a cure, leaving only a note behind saying that she was going to find herself. So Hawkmoth wanted the miraculous to bring her back to them.
> 
> So, Marinette is crushed and Adrien is distraught and there are akuma's about... and we have one more chapter. Do with that information as you will. Stay safe y'all.


	14. Little Kitty on The Roof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end! This! is! the! end!

It was like she was in a nightmare crafted by Hawkmoth to finally turn her into an Akuma. Instead, this was real life; Gabriel Agreste had his son woo her in hopes that she would stay in his company and one day take it over.

Maybe there was a chance that it was a dream.

But it wasn't. The pain she felt in her chest was too acute for the events to be mistaken as fantasy. A cynical part of her was just waiting for the black and purple butterfly to show up.

She lay there, paralysed with pain on her bed since she came to her room. She wasn't too sure how much time had passed but by the shifting of the sky from the morose shades of grey to the melancholic blues of dusk.

The entire evening, she ignored Alya's and Nino's calls. Adrian probably called them and told them what happened when she refused to answer her door earlier. He pounded on it for a long time and begged. Begged for her to listen to him with a voice that sounded like he swallowed a concoction of glass shards and razors. As though he had been crying.

Why was he the one crying? 

Maybe he was terrified of losing her as a friend.

When he finally gave up, she heard the door to his room shut. Then, mind-numbing silence.

The silence was little comfort to her for it allowed her mind to spin wild. With time to think, she kept wondering as to why Adrien agreed to do this with his father. It made no sense! He clearly seemed oblivious to her feelings for him, seeing that the plan was to get her to fall for him. But why was it necessary? She had delayed accepting any of the many internships she was offered by other fashion houses when all she had from Gabriel was an interview. And the day she was told that she already had what she thought was an internship, she declined all 12 of her offers. Even if he feared that she might make her own brand, he could just amalgamate it to the fashion house as he had done with Lucien. And if he wanted her to be his successor, marriage wasn't necessary. Something could have been worked out?

She sat up. She had some questions for her Chaton. She made her way to the door at once. If she hesitated for a second, she knew she would never ask him. She stepped into the hallway She understood why Adrien went along with the idea, his father must have asked him too, but what did he get out of it. She couldn't help but compare it with the Kagami situation.

A few muffled notes of the piano made its way through the din of her thoughts. It was soft yet haunting and pulled at the recesses of her mind like a long-lost memory. She recognized as the tune that she heard Adrien humming a few times. The song was like a false memory to her; something she shouldn't remember. It was enough to slow her walk to his room. 

It stopped as she neared the door.

She didn't bother knocking the door. She simply let herself in. A quick scan of the room informed her that he was nowhere in sight. Although she couldn't see him, she felt his presence as if he were watching her. thinking that he might be on the couch, curled up in a ball, she made her way there but got distracted by the grand piano. The sheet music she had seen last night was on the stand and it appeared to be completed with a title.

"Little Kitty on the Roof..." Even the name evoked some familiarity

The door snapped shut with an extra click for the lock, making her jump. She spun around at the noise and froze. Pale lips smirked at her before moving towards her. She wouldn't dare call what he did walking, his movements in his white leather-clad legs were a smooth and graceful glide reminiscent of Adrien's model walk, however, never before had she seen it look so... sinful before.

"And I thought I would have to cataclysm that wall or your door to get to you, Princess. Where are my manners; I am-" as he spoke, she couldn't help but eye the slight fangs he had. 

"Chat Blanc, " How could she forget this Akuma. The Akuma with the ability to destroy the entire world, the moon and even...her. 4 years ago, when Bunnyx pulled her into the future to deal with him.

"We've met before, Princess? " he questioned with a cat-like turn of the head. There was a question in his blue eyes.

"Uhm, no? Lucky guess?" Crap, she was floundering.

"Lucky, huh?" a seductive smirk curled his lips and the question in his eyes seemed to be answered. 

Marinette's brain ran a mile a minute as she searched for a solution. She had to get away from Chat Blanc and transform into Ladybug. But how as she to explain how ladybug managed to get inside the extremely secure house? Or she could just transform here in front of him revealing that she was his partner all along. She had been planning to tell him anyway and this might be it. What a terrible way to confess!

He finally closed the gap between them, essentially caging her against the black wooden instrument behind her. The white leather encasing his hands felt surprisingly warm as he took her hand in his. He pressed a lingering kiss to that hand before pressing it to his chest, above his heart. In those short moments, her face pinked from the contact with his bare chest. Oh yes, the white version of his suit was extremely revealing. His white hair had a wild sexed-up look to it, hanging into his eyes, a white leather collar wrapped around his neck with his golden bell hanging on it, his pant was somehow tighter than before and he wore a white leather bolero and gloves with nothing underneath showing off his sculpted muscles.

"What happened Chat?" She finally asked

"What happened?" He pretended to think it over. "You happened, Princess. You ran away from me and wouldn't give me a chance to explain"

Her temper flared before she could get a hold on it. She tried to wrench her hand away but he held steady. "To explain? Explain what? That you and your father had been plotting to get me to fall for you. That you were trying to manipulate my feelings to keep me in your father's company at his behest? Really Adrien? And I really thought that you were finally developing some agency from your father when it came to decisions but it looks like I was wrong."

"Marinette, would you shut up and listen for a minute?" Irritation flashed through his blue eyes.

"Why would you do something like that when you only see me as a friend-" 

Marinette's tirade was cut off by Chat, particularly his mouth. His lips slammed into hers and attacked it relentlessly. She was shocked at first and tried to fight off the effects he caused throughout her body, but it was a losing battle. She melted into the kiss responding in kind. Noticing her reciprocation he nipped at her bottom lip asking for entrance of which she eagerly obliged. Chat's tongue danced along with hers before quickly dominating her mouth. His hands that were cradling her head, angling her head to kiss her even more deeply making her knees weak.

He pulled away too soon for her liking, leaving her a panting wobbly mess clinging to him. His hooded eyes took an appreciative look at her.

"After all this time you still think I only see you as a friend?" He tsked, then he muttered, "After all these weeks you still..."

"Chat I-" she began to voice her confusion but he pressed his thumb to her lips.

"I finished the song. Would you like to hear it?" He asked. His eyes were so full of hope as if the song had all the answers in the world. She nodded. If this would keep him calm and collected and not turn into the insane and dangerous Chat Blanc she experienced when she was younger.

Chat gently took her hand that was still over his heart, in his and began leading her around to the piano's bench. His hold was soft and if she really tried to she might have been able to break free of his hold, run and transform and hopefully after purifying the Akuma and resetting everything Adrien might not question how Ladybug did it (because now wasn't the time for confessions). Instead, she let him lead her. Where they touched, she felt electricity, even through the magical leather. And she was utterly and willingly lost in his blue eyes. All too soon he sat on the bench and pulled her into his lap, his chest pressed into his lap.

Chat Blanc reached around her and began pressing the keys in a lazy way, slowly building its melancholic tune. She recognized it instantly; it was the song she had heard Adrien humming and what she had heard before entering this room earlier. Then he began singing and though his voice was beautiful and his breath tickled the back of her neck, a shudder ran up her spine for different reasons.

This was Blanc's song for Ladybug that he was singing when she met him in the future. It was years after the Name Day incident that Adrien never had to go through; how did he know this melody before turning into his akumatised state?

"Maybe it's my fault." He had stopped singing and began speaking in soft dulcet tones into her shoulder, "I did basically create a situation that makes you misunderstand my actions 4 years ago. But even then you didn't question It, you just went along with it. Can't really blame you, I never questioned it either until after fighting Miracle Queen. Then I kept trying to get you to notice me the next 3 years both as Chat Noir and as Adrien. You brushed me off as Adrien but as Chat Noir it was slowly happening."

She watched as his left hand stopped playing and moved to her knee. He continued to play the melody with his right hand, while the claws of the other absentmindedly drew patterns on her skin making it difficult to focus on his words.

"With every visit, we became closer. It was a wonderful time, those nights we spent hidden in your room. But I realised it couldn't happen, not as Chat anyway so I stopped and tried harder as Adrien. It wasn't until November last year that Nino told me that I had a chance. But I was an idiot and waited too long and you gave up on me in February. Then Kagami came with her problem and I grabbed at it, because it was a chance to be close to you. 

"4 months later, I got my chance again and my obligation to Kagami had just ended. The day I was attacked I was coming to tell you that we had broken up and to start my plan that even my father approved of. Then I forgot everything from the last 4 months and I asked you to stay. To keep you close. To get you back. I almost had you then I opened my big mouth and almost lost you. Well, you're here now and I'm never going to let you go again."

Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Or was his delusional state exaggerating what he felt? She couldn't keep the thought in her head for long because his hands had been moving higher on her lap and steadily inward, kneading the flesh there and his mouth was busy tasting the flesh of her neck to shoulder with small nips and licks that had her fidgeting on his lap and subtly bucking her hips into his hand in spite of her trying her best to not react. And all throughout he continued to play on the piano. 

"Ch-Chaton- what do you mean?" The words struggled to pass through her lips against her pants and soft mewls.

"Oh princess, don't you understand. I love you and now you're mine. Only mine. My Marinette, my Mari, my Princess, my petite souris... M'lady."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost left the story right here. And I just might, but for now I'll leave it as one more chapter. If y'all are okay with this I'll leave it but if you want a more concrete ending just say the word.
> 
> So thoughts? Did anyone see this coming? I've been hinting at it since chapter 19 with Adrien's humming and with the addition of rogue akumas. 
> 
> And Chat Blanc's costume is different because he is more mature and without hawkmoth controlling it the costumes tend to be different. Plus it's sexier.


	15. A Culmination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the actual ending

M'lady?

Did he just call her M'lady?

"What?" She had to stay calm. Plausible deniability, right?

"You don't have to hide anymore, Princess. I know that you are Ladybug. I've known for years, actually." He punctuated the sentence by taking her earlobe into his warm mouth, tongue swirling knowingly around her miraculous.

The sluggishness she had been experiencing in his arms dissipated immediately. She flew out of his loose hold as though it had been searing her skin. Not expecting that reaction it took a second for Chat Blanc to react. He just turned on the bench to watch her.

Chat's mouth opened giving her a cheeky grin, then he moved his hand to his mouth pulling out something red, "Now you have to stay and listen"

"My miraculous!" Marinette's hand flew to her left ear discovering it empty. Chat had half her miraculous and she couldn't transform.

Her back was to the door as she took measured steps backwards. Marinette refused to take her eyes off the white cat before her. She was in dangerous territory.

"I got your earing off with just my tongue. Imagine what I can do in other places." His eyes strayed towards her thighs as his tongue darted out to wet his lips.

Marinette couldn't help the shudder that wracked her frame due to his words. She almost got lost in her head imagining just that.

"How did you know that I'm Ladybug?" She inquired, finally shaking herself from her inappropriate thoughts. Adrien had somehow been akumatised, knew she was Ladybug and held half of her miraculous making it impossible for her to transform and here she was thinking about him eating her out!

He tucked the earing into a pocket in his pants, reclined slightly on his hands before answering her question.

"I've sort of known since the day I met you as Ladybug. When I saw you, I almost instantly knew it was you but I wasn't too sure. It's why I called you M'lady that first time: I was about to say Marinette.

"I almost gave up on the thought entirely. The 'you' I saw in school was too different than the 'you' I knew as my partner and you didn't want me to know either so I gave up.

"But the few interactions I had with you as Chat especially when we were 16 made you look so much like her that I started to question it. The Weredad incident is when I really began looking into it..." His voice was soft as he explained like he was trying to keep her calm so that she wouldn't attempt to run away.

Some time while he was speaking he got up and began closing the gap between them at an extremely slow rate. He went on to explain all the things he noticed, the little things he picked up on while studying her. It was enough to convince anyone to at least consider the possibility. In other words, she was sloppy and was incredibly lucky that no one tried to put two and two together

"However it wasn't enough to prove anything. That could just be how you acted around Chat. I'd have to get close to you as Adrien. It was happening slowly, almost too slowly."

Then 3 months later, that prodigious weekend happened when her drawings flew out of her window and Chat had retrieved them for her. He had stayed over for an hour and they had talked. Marinette remembered making an off-hand remark about wanting to be friends with Adrien but didn't know how not to get flustered around him. He explained that after he left, he spent the rest of the weekend researching what to do to make her comfortable around him. That's how he came up with kissing. So that faithful Monday, he began their friendship with a kiss and a promise.

"That's not enough to figure out anything. How did you figure it out? Or did you just guess and hoped for the best?" She asked with a hint of exasperation in her voice. The backstory was helpful, she wouldn't dispute that, but she knew Adrien and there had to be some defining moment.

"My Name's Day." He said simply with a boop on her nose that made her fall back on to his bed.

Somehow he had gotten her to change the directions of his steps from his door to his bed.

"That can't be true. I took my name off of it." She responded with a slight warble in her voice.

She fixed the future by doing that. She had to take off her name and Adrien didn't freak out by knowing who she was. Yet here she was dealing with an Akuma that shouldn't exist because they were locked in the house with no way in or out.

He lowered himself down to his knees in front of her then rested his head on her lap, his claws tracing words on her thigh. Each imperceptible, distracting word hitched her skirt higher.

"You did; I recognised your work." He looked up at her with an innocent look.

She felt her heart thunder in her chest, but she fought it valiantly.

"You don't love me." She said at last.

The words taste like ash upon her tongue. She struggled to swallow it, so instead, she spat it out like the vile thing it was. The truth was never known to be sweet.

Chat Blanc looked at her horrified. Slowly, but with increasing speed he shook his head. She heard his mutterings of the negative, yet it washed over her. He loved the Ladybug in her. He loved the smallest part of what made Marinette, Marinette. He became her friend because he expected her to be his Lady. He was heartbroken that Ladybug rejected him again, not that Marinette did.

She just wanted to scurry away from her cat tormenter. If she could get to the miracle box in time she could put on the mouse Miraculous, multiply about a dozen or so times, pin him down, find the other half of her miraculous and the rest will be history. She would return home and stay there for the remainder of her "internship"; all the while avoiding Adrien in all his forms until her heart properly healed.

She moved to get up, but Chat flung his arms around her waist and hugged her to him with an unyielding grip. The action pulled her to the edge of the bed, and her legs automatically parted to accommodate his form.

"This has little to do with you being Ladybug, Princess," he said with a vehemence that made Marinette question whether she voiced her thoughts or he had just picked up on her thoughts.

"Oh, it doesn't?" She sneered.

"Yes, it doesn't. By the time I made the connection between you and Ladybug, I had already given up on Ladybug. I realized that I only had a crush on her, that I didn't know her and never would. Not behind the mask anyway, she was too professional to let that happen. Do you know who made me question it? You did. When you told me that you loved me. I felt so warm inside to know that somebody loved this stray cat; not the handsome model. And when I said I loved Ladybug, I felt like I was simply just saying the words. Then I got to know you, Princess, and I realized that Ladybug would be lucky if she was even half of what you were. Then I found out you were her and I was just happy that we were friends.

"I don't know when it happened, but sometime after that first year, I fell in love with you Marinette and every little smile, kiss, hug, macaroon, late nights spent with you had me falling deeper for my Princess, who loved playing video games, baking, is amazing at aerial silks although she trips when she walks on solid ground and dreams of being a fashion designer.

"If I wanted Ladybug, wouldn't I be calling you M'lady instead of Princess?" His explanation came out slightly muffled due to how his face was pressed into the skin of her stomach. Each syllable that passed through his lips caressed her skin with a reverent touch while his tears worked its way through her top.

She blinked owlishly at the prostrate man wrapped around her. Marinette wasn't sure if she could doubt him. His words made her heart swell until it felt like it was going burst.

"But on the phone with your father... you said everything was going to plan," she questioned.

"The only plan was the date. I called my father last night so we could use the park, remember? The only thing I didn't tell you was that I was asking for approval to date you. When you walked on it earlier, my father was warning me to not mess it up, because he wanted you for a daughter-in-law." The white ears on his head drooped in embarrassment and she could barely make out the flush on his ears.

"Chat..."She began, knowing what she had to say.

"Princess, I know you don't love me yet, that you're only physically attracted to me, but let me prove my love to you. We have this house to ourselves for the next week and I promise I can get you to fall for me again and I'll give you back your earing." He pleaded.

The look in his eyes could only be compared to a man at his wits end. A man who thought he was not loved by her. The confession itched at her throat but she held it in.

"Won't you let me be your sex kitten?"

"Okay Chat, but-" she tried again but was distracted by how he kneaded her thighs, sending her skirt higher the father it travelled. His lips teased the skin of her stomach with featherlike kisses that sent tingles to her core.

"Chat, stop!"

She had to stop this before it got too out of hand.

He immediately froze and his eyes flew to hers with a wild scared look in his eyes, "Princess...?"

His eyes darted back and forth, as though he was watching Serena play, and his chest rapidly expanded and compressed. He was panicking.

She did the only thing she could. She grabbed on to his face and kissed him soft and lovingly.

It felt like the culmination to a big moment. From the day they started off this odd friendship 4 years ago to right now, every decision made was leading to this. He tasted like her forbidden tea mixed with honey and macaroons.

"Silly kitty. Don't you know I already love you? I thought you would never love me."

He began to sputter, then the strangest thing happened. The akuma cleaved itself from his bell all pure and white and fluttered off into a nearby vent. Immediately his transformation dropped and before her kneeled Adrien and a floating Plagg. The latter threw both of them the stink eye before flying off.

Adrien's green eyes stared up at her in wonder, "You love _me_ , Princess?"

"Of course I do kitty. Why else would I have reacted so badly?"

She pressed her lips to his once more.

"Four years ago you promised you would kiss me until I remembered to relax around you. Now I'll do the same. But as your girlfriend now." She giggled out.

He took her hands in his and pressed two kisses into her knuckles, before rising up to kiss her in the placed she loved.

"This may be slightly inappropriate, but can this cat still get your cream?" a sly smirk rounded his lips.

Did he just-. She pinked at his question.

"... You may..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. We have reached the end. I do hope you are satisfied. I enjoyed writing this for you and reading your reviews. You guys are great readers.
> 
> Fret not. There is another fic in the making. The catch, it will be rated E but not for everyone and its a marichat story. It's called Expérimentation.


End file.
